Greek: spoudason (2SAAM)seautondokimonparastesai (AAN)
totheo,ergatenanepaischunton,orthotomounta (PAPMSA)
tonlogontesaletheias.Amplified:
Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God
approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed,
correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and
skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth. (Amplified
Bible - Lockman)Darby:
Strive diligently to present thyself approved to God, a workman that
has not to be ashamed, cutting in a straight line the word of truth. Wuest:
Bend your every effort to present yourself to God, approved, a workman
unashamed, expounding soundly the word of the truth. (Eerdmans) Young's Literal: be diligent to present thyself approved
to God--a workman irreproachable, rightly dividing the word of the
truth;

Be diligent(4704)
(spoudazofrom spoude= earnestness,
diligence) conveys the idea hastening to do
something with the implication of associated energy or with intense
effort and motivation. It suggest zealous concentration and diligent
effort. Spoudazo speaks of intensity of purpose followed by
intensity of effort toward the realization of that purpose.

Spoudazo is in the aorist imperative,
a command to do this now. Don't delay. Do it effectively. Demonstrate a
zealous persistence to accomplish an objective. ''Do your utmost for His
highest'!

Study of God's Word takes effort!
Inductive Bible study
is the most difficult Bible study I have have ever done has also been by
far the most rewarding and edifying.

Spoudazo is
used in the papyri in such senses as “do your best, take care, hurry on
the doing of something.”

Spoudazo is
marked by careful unremitting attention or persistent application. The
idea is give maximum effort, do your best, spare no effort, hurry on, be
eager! Hasten to do a thing, exert yourself, endeavour to do it. It
means not only to be willing to do with eagerness, but to follow through
and make diligent effort. Give your utmost for His highest!

In other words
spoudazo does not stop with affecting one's state of mind, but also
affects one's activity.

Spoudazo
conveys the idea of exertion. It means to be conscientious, zealous and
earnest in discharging a duty or obligation.

The verb speaks
of intensity of purpose followed by intensity of effort
toward the realization of that purpose.

To be diligent
is to exert steady, earnest, and energetic effort and suggests earnest
application to some specific object or pursuit. The idea is careful and
persevering in carrying out tasks or duties. It means to be assiduous
(marked by careful unremitting attention or persistent application).

Spoudazo basically means to make haste, and from that come the
meanings of zeal and diligence. One commentator describes it as a holy
zeal that demands full dedication.

The supreme purpose of the
diligent and selfless teacher is to please God. -
For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God?” Paul asked Galatian believers. “Or
am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I
would not be a bondservant of Christ (Galatians 1:10-note)

Every Christian teacher and preacher should be able to say, "Just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so
we speak, not as pleasing men but God, who examines our hearts (1Thes
2:4-note).

His
greatest desire is to hear his Master say, "Well done, good and faithful
servant (Mt 25:21)."

Charles Kingsley - Have thy tools ready; God will find thee work.

The most beneficial study of God’s Word requires diligence and
perseverance, but the results are worth the effort. A. B. Simpson
said...

God has hidden every precious thing in such a way that it is a reward to
the diligent, a prize to the earnest, but a disappointment to the
slothful soul. All nature is arrayed against the lounger and the idler.
The nut is hidden in its thorny case; the pearl is buried beneath the
ocean waves; the gold is imprisoned in the rocky bosom of the mountains;
the gem is found only after you crush the rock which encloses it; the
very soil gives its harvest as a reward to the laboring farmer. So truth
and God must be earnestly sought.

Steven Cole what the key is
for a saint to be diligent to rightly divide the Word...

So many Christians are haphazard and
lazy rather than diligent in their approach to God’s Word. They don’t
systematically read, study, or memorize it. If they read it at all, they
jump from passage to passage, pulling verses out of context. They aren’t
seeking to know God and how He wants them to think, to believe, and to
relate to others. Their lives and relationships are falling apart, but
they don’t search diligently to discover what God’s Word tells them
to do about these problems.

The key to being diligent in God’s
Word is to be motivated. Motivation is the key to learning. Have you
ever been on an airplane and watched the passengers as the stewardess
gives the instructions on how to use the emergency breathing apparatus?
They’re reading their newspapers or impatiently thinking, “Hurry up so
we can get going!” They’re not motivated to hear her boring
instructions. But suppose they’re airborne and the pilot comes on the
intercom and says, “Ladies and gentlemen, we’re experiencing some severe
trouble with our engines. We’re going to have to depressurize the cabin
and make an emergency landing. The stewardess is going to explain how to
use the emergency breathing apparatus.” Do you think he would have to
add, “Please give her your full attention”? People would be motivated!

So the key to being motivated to be
diligent in God’s Word is to recognize, “I live in the presence of God!
Someday soon I will give an account to Him. His Word alone contains His
wisdom on how to live in a way that pleases Him, which is the only way
to true happiness for me. So I’ve got to be diligent to search out what
the Scriptures say about knowing God and His wisdom for living.” (See
full message 2 Timothy 2:14-19 Using the Word
Properly)

TO PRESENT
YOURSELF: parastesai (AAN):

Present (3936)
(paristemifrom pará = near + hístemi = place, stand)
literally means to stand beside or near, to present and includes idea of
yielding, to place at the disposal of another and so to lay oneself out
for the use of another. In the Septuagint (LXX)
paristemi was used as a technical term for priest’s placing
offering on altar. This word conveys the general idea of surrendering or
yielding up. Josephus (Ant., 4, 113) writes

"He then slew the
sacrifices, and offered (paristemi) them as burnt
offerings, that he might observe some signal of the flight of the
Hebrews."

The aorist tense
here indicates a decisive, wholehearted act, yet in this
case it is one requiring the diligence of repetition.

It is a standing alongside of or before God, of presenting oneself for
inspection, as it were, in order to be approved by Him.

The verb paristemi
is used in a similar manner by Paul in his letter to the Romans where he
writes "why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you
regard your brother with contempt? For we shall all stand
before (paristemi) the judgment seat of God."
(Ro 14:10-note)

Note that this judgment has to do with a believer’s service,
not his sins (1Co 3:11, 12, 13, 14, 15). It is a time of review and reward, and is not
to be confused with the Judgment of the Gentile nations (Mt 25:31, 32,
33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46) or
the Judgment of the Great White Throne (Rev 20:11, 12, 13, 14, 15-notes). The latter is the
final judgment of all the wicked dead.

Be diligent that you might receive
your degree...

A.U.G.Approved
Unto
God

Steven Cole points out
that...

Present is used (2 Cor 11:2;
Ep 5:27
[note])
to speak of a bride being presented to her bridegroom. It’s a very
personal, loving act when a young woman gives herself to a young man in
marriage. In that culture (pre-women’s lib) it meant that she was giving
herself completely to him: her devotion, her time, her body, her
complete focus was now toward her husband because of his love for her
and her love for him. That’s how we should come to the Bible. It’s not
just a book of principles for how to live. It tells us of Christ’s
enduring love for His bride. As His bride, we should seek to please Him
and be available to do His will. As such, our focus should not be on
what others think of us, but on what God thinks. Too many pastors fall
into the trap of pleasing people, rather than pleasing God. While it’s
nice to be liked, my main focus is to be, “approved to God.” Our goal is
to please our heavenly Bridegroom who loved us and gave Himself for us.

When Jim Elliot, who was later
martyred in the jungles of Ecuador, was a student at Wheaton College, he
wrote in his diary, “My grades came through this week, and were, as
expected, lower than last semester. However, I make no apologies, and
admit I’ve let them drag a bit for study of the Bible, in which I seek
the degree A.U.G., ‘approved unto God’” (Shadow of the Almighty
[Zondervan], p. 43).

Approved (1384)
(dokimos from dokime = test, proof, trial =
idea is that when you put metal through a fiery testing and it comes out
on the other side enduring it "proven", "authentic" or "genuine"
Clickdiscussion of related word
dokimazo and the antonym = adokimos) describes one who has stood
the test.

A dokimos man or dokimos
character is like metal which has been cleansed of all alloy and
impurity. In James 1:12 (see below) the weaknesses of such a one have
been eradicated and he emerges strong and pure. That which is dokimos is
shown to be trustworthy and genuine.

Approved describes
anything tested and fit for service. As alluded to above, this term was
used of gold and silver which has been purified by fire of all alloy.

Dokimos is the word
describing money which is
genuine or as we would say sterling (silver) [sterling = conforming to
the highest standard]. In other words, a persons must first be "proved"
before being "approved". One so approved is assayed by the One
Who has eyes like flames of fire
(Rev 1:14-note) yet passes this scrutiny and
is counted as worthy.

Dokimos is a word
which motivates one to have a "God consciousness" (cp "Coram
Deo" - before the face of God!), a consciousness of His
presence and of living and acting in His sight, so as to please Him in
all things. (e.g., see the use by James below)

Sometimes it is helpful to get a
sense of the meaning of a word by observing uses of its antonym and here
Isaiah 1:22-note
presents us with a clear picture, where God is speaking to faithless
Israel declaring "Your silver has become dross (Hebrew
= siyg = literally that which is turned away or skimmed off
in the refining process, the waste or impurity, the refuse after
smelting precious metal and figuratively that which is base or
worthless), Your drink diluted with water. (Comment: The Septuagint -LXXtranslates siyg with
the Greek word adokimos)

Richards writes that
dokimos "is used in the NT in the sense of
recognition, of being officially approved and accepted.

Barclay - The Greek for one who has stood
the test is dokimos, which describes anything which has been
tested and is fit for service. For instance, it describes gold or silver
which has been purified of all alloy in the fire. It is therefore the
word for money which is genuine, or, as we would say, sterling. It is
the word used for a stone which is fit to be fitted into its place in a
building. A stone with a flaw in it was marked with a capital A,
standing for adokimastos, which means tested and found wanting.
Timothy was to be tested that he might be a fit weapon for the work of
Christ, and therefore a workman who had no need to be ashamed. (Barclay,
W: The Daily Study Bible)

The root dek-, dechomai, accept,
gives two verbal derivatives dokeo and dokao. The former means
(intrans.) to appear, have the appearance, (trans.) to think, believe,
consider right; the latter means expect. Derivatives of the former are:
(a) dokimos, trustworthy, reliable, tested, recognized, used as a
technical term for genuine, current coinage, but also applied to persons
enjoying general esteem; (b) adokimos, untested, not respected; (c)
indirectly also dokimion, test, probation; (d) from dokimos are also
derived dokimazo, test, pronounce good, establish by trial, recognize,
and apodokimazo, disapprove of, reject, blame; dokimasis and dokimasia,
investigation, testing (preparatory to installing in an office); dokime,
approved character, trial. (Brown,
Colin, Editor. New International Dictionary of NT Theology. 1986.
Zondervan)

Dokimos is used 7 times in
the NT...

Romans 14:18 (note)
For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and
approved by men. (John MacArthur comments: Dokimos (approved)
refers to acceptance after careful examination, as when a jeweler
carefully inspects a gem under a magnifying glass to determine its
genuineness and value. When we serve Christ selflessly, we prove
ourselves “﻿to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach
in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear
as lights in the world﻿” (﻿see notePhilippians 2:15﻿).
(MacArthur,
J: Romans 9-16. Chicago: Moody Press)

Romans 16:10 (note)
Greet Apelles, the approved in Christ. Greet those who are of the
household of Aristobulus. (Comment: O, that the "tribe" of
Apelles might increase for whatever it was he did in the way of ministry
and service, it was done in the sphere of [sufficiency of, power of,
grace of] Christ, allowing Christ to live out His supernatural life
through him. Apelles understood the vital principle Jesus taught in John
15:5 that "if you abide in Me and I abide in you shall bear much fruit
for apart from Me you can do absolutely nothing that will pass the
test." The "works" of Apelles will be tried by fire in 1 Corinthians
3:13-14 and even as pure gold will be found to pass the test of purity
in the eyes of the Refiner. May God be pleased to raise up many Apelles
in the modern church in America. Amen.)

1 Corinthians 11:19 For there
must also be factions among you, in order that those who are approved
may have become evident among you.

2 Corinthians 10:18 For not he
who commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends.

2 Corinthians 13:7 Now we pray
to God that you do no wrong; not that we ourselves may appear
approved, but that you may do what is right, even though we should
appear unapproved.

2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to
present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need
to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth.

James 1:12 Blessed is a man
who perseveres under trial (the test is not designed to destroy us but
to display the genuineness of our faith); for once he has been approved
(dokimos - in the context he has passed the test and his faith is
intact), he
will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who
love Him. (Comment: The principle is simple and clear that
perseverance brings God’s approval, and His approval brings the crown of
life)

Genesis 23:16 And Abraham
listened to Ephron; and Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver which
he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of
silver, commercial standard (Lxx = "approved [dokimos] with merchants".

1 Kings 10:18 Moreover, the
king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with refined (Hebrew =
pazaz = refined; Lxx = dokimos) gold.

2 Chronicles 9:17 Moreover, the king
made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure (Hebrew = tahor =
pure, clean, genuine - used ninety times in the Old Testament, primarily
to distinguish things that were culturally pure, capable of being used
in, or taking part in the religious rituals of Israel; Lxx =
dokimos) gold.

Donald Barnhouse has the following
interesting explanation of dokimos writing that

In the
ancient world there was no banking system as we know it today, and no
paper money. All money was made from metal, heated until liquid, poured
into moulds and allowed to cool. When the coins were cooled, it was
necessary to smooth off the uneven edges. The coins were comparatively
soft and of course many people shaved them closely. In one century, more
than eighty laws were passed in Athens, to stop the practice of shaving
down the coins then in circulation. But some money changers were men of
integrity, who would accept no counterfeit money. They were men of
honour who put only genuine full weighted money into circulation. Such
men were called "dokimos" or "approved"

This was Paul's warp and woof, to
be God's man, God'sworkman who expressed his earnest
expectation and hope this way "that I shall not be put to shame in
anything, but that with all boldness, Christ shall even now, as always,
be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. (Php 1:20-see note)
(And we should each seek to be imitators of Paul, just as he was of
Christ)

Workman (2040)
(ergates
from ergazomai= meaning to engage
in an activity involving considerable expenditure of effort. It is the
root of English
words like ergs, ergonomics, etc) literally describes a worker (workman)
or laborer, someone who is engaged in labor (Mt 10:10, Mt 20:1-2, 8,
etc). An ergates is one who effects something or brings about an
effect through exertion of effort, whether mental or physical. In the
spiritual realm, some of the workers are good (believers - Mt 9:37, 38,
1Ti 5:18, 2Ti 2:15) and some are evil (unbelievers = deceitful workersin 2Cor 11:13, evil workers - Php 3:2, workers of evil literally in
Lk 13:27)

Liddell-Scott - (I) a
workman: esp. one who works the soil, a husbandman, Herodotus, the
country-folk. 2. as Adj. hard-working, strenuous, Xenophon (II). one who
practices an art, c. gen., Id. (II) a doer, worker, Sophocles, Xenophon.

Ergates - 16x in 15v - not
found in non-apocryphal Septuagint ("evildoer" in 1Macc 3:6).

Matthew 9:37 Then He said to His
disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. 38
"Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers
into His harvest."

Matthew 10:10 or a bag for your journey, or even two coats, or sandals,
or a staff; for the worker is worthy of his support.

Matthew 20:1 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went
out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2
"When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius for the day,
he sent them into his vineyard.
8 "When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman,
'Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the
last group to the first.'

Luke 10:2 And He was saying to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the
laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to
send out laborers into His harvest.
7 "Stay in that house, eating and drinking what they give you; for the
laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not keep moving from house to
house.

Luke 13:27-note
and He will say, 'I tell you, I do not know where you are from; DEPART
FROM ME, ALL YOU EVILDOERS.' (Literally workers of
unrighteousness)

1 Timothy 5:18 For the Scripture says, "YOU SHALL NOT MUZZLE THE OX
WHILE HE IS THRESHING," and "The laborer is worthy of his wages."

2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a
workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the
word of truth.

James 5:4 Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields,
and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the
outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord
of Sabaoth.

There are also a number of
metaphorical uses in the NT (as here in 2Ti 2:15) describing one who is
engaged in the work of some spiritual activity, whether good or bad
(study the uses below, noting the repeated association that the ergates
is "worthy of his wages" - beloved the hard working farmer should be the
first to receive his share of the "wages" even now [2Ti 2:6-note]
and yet even better he is storing up wages in the "bank of heaven"
(cp 1Ti 4:8-note,
Mt 6:20-note,
cp Mt 19:21, 1Ti 6:17, 18, 19, He 10:34-note,
He 11:26-note;
1Pe 1:4-note).
Are you working for this life or the life to come?
Do not lose heart as you labor [Gal 6:9, 10], striving according to His
power which mightily works within you [Col 1:28-note,
Col 1:29-note;
He 13:20, 21-note],
for your "payday" awaits eternity and the
bema seat [word study] of Christ
[2Cor 5:10, 1Co 3:11, 12, 13, 14, 15], the Lord
of the harvest. Redeem the work days you have [Ep 5:16-note,
Ro 13:11-note,
Ro 13:12-note]
for the days are evil and our life is but a vapor - cp Ps 90:12-note,
Jas 1:10, 11-note,
Jas 4:14, Ps 102:3-note,
Ps 102:11-note,
Ps 103:15, 16-note,
Ps 144:4-note,
Isa 40:6, 7, 1Pe1:24, 25-note,
Job 7:6)

Only one life
Twill soon pass
Only what's done for (in) Christ will last

So teach us to
number our days,
That we may present to Thee a heart of wisdom.
-- Moses - Ps 90:12-note

Lost, yesterday,
somewhere between sunrise and sunset,
two golden hours, each set with sixty diamond minutes.
No reward offered, for they are gone for ever.﻿﻿

Redeem the time! God only knows
How soon our little life may close,
With all its pleasures and its woes,
Redeem the time!
— Anonymous

God set a goal, yet
gave the choice
To mortals how time may be spent,
Admonishing that worth, not length,
Values time's accomplishment.
— Mortenson

There is a tide in
the affairs of men,
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.
(Julius Caesar, 4.3.217)

Whatever your hand
finds to do,
verily, do it with all your might;
for there is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol
where you are going. (Eccl 9:10)

Life is too short for us to do
everything we want to do; but it is long enough for us to do everything
God wants us to do. - Anon.

Spend your time in nothing which
you know must be repented of; in nothing on which you might not pray for
the blessing of God; in nothing which you could not review with a quiet
conscience on your dying bed; in nothing which you might not safely and
properly be found doing if death should surprise you in the act. -
Richard Baxter

Time is not yours to dispose of as
you please; it is a glorious talent that men must be accountable for as
well as any other talent. - Thomas Brooks

There is nothing puts a more
serious frame into a man's spirit than to know the worth of his time.
-Thomas Brooks

We are to redeem the time because
we ourselves are redeemed.-Richard Chester

Half our life is spent trying to
find something to do with the time we have rushed through life to save.
-Will Rogers

Too busy for all
that is holy on earth beneath the sky,
Too busy to serve the Master, but—not too busy to die!—Anon.

ETERNITY will be appreciated
only in the measure that we have rightly handled TIME!-F. King

Adoniram Judson alluded to
making the most of your opportunities when he wrote that...

A life once spent is irrevocable. It
will remain to be contemplated through eternity...the same may be said
of each day. When it is once past, it is gone forever. All the marks
which we put upon it, it will exhibit forever...each day will not only
be a witness of our conduct, but will affect our everlasting
destiny....How shall we then wish to see each day marked with
usefulness...! It is too late to mend the days that are past. The future
is in our power. Let us, then, each morning, resolve to send the day
into eternity in such a garb as we shall wish it to wear forever. And at
night let us reflect that one more day is irrevocably gone, indelibly
marked.

Many years ago when the great
missionary Adoniram Judson was home on furlough, he passed through the
city of Stonington, Connecticut. A young boy playing about the wharves
at the time of Judson’s arrival was struck by the man’s appearance.
Never before had he seen such a light on any human face. He ran up the
street to a minister to ask if he knew who the stranger was. The
minister hurried back with him, but became so absorbed in conversation
with Judson that he forgot all about the impatient youngster standing
near him. Many years afterward that boy—who could never get away from
the influence of that wonderful face—became the famous preacher Henry
Clay Trumbull. In a book of memoirs he penned a chapter entitled: "What
a Boy Saw in the Face of Adoniram Judson." That lighted countenance had
changed his life. Even as flowers thrive when they bend to the light, so
shining, radiant faces come to those who constantly turn toward Christ!
Over 3000 years ago Moses prayed a prayer that is reflected in the life
of Adoniram Judson and might well be an appropriate prayer of every
saint who loves "His (Christ's)
appearing" (2Ti 4:8-

Ergates in the ancient world was
used especially of one who works the soil. Xenophon uses ergates to
describe one who practices an art.

Ergates is used 15 times in
the NT (no uses in the non-apocryphal Septuagint) and is rendered in the
NAS as laborer(2), laborers(6), worker(1), workers(4), workman(1),
workmen(1).

Matthew 9:37
Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the
workers are few. 38 "Therefore beseech the Lord of the
harvest to send out workers into His harvest."

Matthew 10:10 or a bag for your journey, or even two tunics, or sandals,
or a staff; for the worker is worthy of his support.

Matthew 20:1 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went
out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.

Matthew 20:2 "And when he had agreed with the laborers for a
denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard.

Matthew 20:8 "And when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said
to his foreman, 'Call the laborers and pay them their wages,
beginning with the last group to the first.'

Luke 10:2 And He was saying to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the
laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to
send out laborers into His harvest.

Luke 10:7 "And stay in that house, eating and drinking what they give
you; for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not keep moving
from house to house.

Luke 13:27 and He will say, 'I tell you, I do not know where you are
from; depart from Me, all you evildoers (literally "doers of
unrighteousness" = ergates adikia).'

Acts 19:25 these he gathered together with the workmen of similar
trades, and said, "Men, you know that our prosperity depends upon this
business.

2 Corinthians 11:13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful
workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.

Philippians 3:2-note Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware
of the false circumcision;

1 Timothy 5:18 For the Scripture says, "You shall not muzzle the ox
while he is threshing," and "The laborer is worthy of his wages."

2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a
workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the
word of truth.

James 5:4 Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and
which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of
those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of
Sabaoth.

The Word of Truth is the
workman’s tool for building, measuring, and repairing God’s people.
Carriers of the truth of God are to represent that truth and the God of
truth well enough that we need never apologize for ourselves. God wants
His people to be well prepared in the interpretation of God's truth. The
messenger who interprets God's truth for others is an agent of His
revelation.

It is clear from both the OT and NT, as well as from church history and
our own time, that many of the worst false teachers claim to be servants
of God (2Co 11:13). The majority of scribes, Pharisees, and other Jewish
leaders of Jesus’ day considered themselves to be the godliest of the
godly, as well as the only reliable interpreters of Scripture. Jesus
called these men "blind guides of the blind" (Mt 15:14, Mt 23:16, 24)

Steven Cole
illustrates the approval every workman should strive for "A young man once studied violin under
a world-renowned master. When his first big recital came, the crowd
cheered after each number, but the young performer seemed dissatisfied.
Even after the final number, despite the applause, the musician seemed
unhappy. As he took his bows, he was watching an elderly man in the
balcony. Finally, the elderly one smiled and nodded in approval.
Immediately, the young man beamed with joy. He was not looking for the
approval of the crowd. He was waiting for the approval of his master.
Christians should be living for God’s approval. We will be approved unto
Him as we use the Bible to grow in godliness. Are you growing as a
craftsman who uses God’s Word of truth accurately and skillfully to grow
in godliness? The misuse of the Bible will lead you to ruin. The proper
use will lead you to godliness. (2 Timothy 2:14-19
Using the Word Properly)

Paid loafers and social parasites!
- "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a
workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the
word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15 It is easy for preachers to become paid
loafers and social parasites, wasting their days in pleasure,
recreation, and bumming around with open palms and an expectant look.
Sadly, the religious hucksters and hirelings of the world have earned
their reputation. Let no gospel preacher do so! The pastor has no boss
within sight. He is not required to keep regular office hours. And no
one checks up on him, to be sure he is working. That is as it should be.
Yet, the very fact that a church treats her pastor as she should, makes
it possible for the pastor to abuse his office, neglect his work, give
himself to idleness, or to providing luxuries for himself and his
family; when he should give himself relentlessly to study, and prayer,
and preaching. If we devote ourselves to this labor, there will be
little time or energy for other things. "Be diligent in these matters;
give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress.
Watch your life and doctrine closely." 1 Timothy 4:15-16

WHO DOES NOT NEED TO BE ASHAMED
: anepaischunton:

Not...ashamed (422)
(anepaischuntos
from a = without +
epaischúnomai = be ashamed) describes the absence of a painful
emotion caused by consciousness of guilt, shortcoming, or impropriety.

The diligent workman who handles
the Word rightly is irreprehensible (blameless)

Diligence in handling the Word now prevents one from one day having to
stand before God and experience the painful feeling arising from the
consciousness of having done something dishonorable with the Word of
Truth. Let us always seek to Be Bereans - Acts 17:11.

I want among the
victor throng
Someday to have my name confessed;
And hear my Master say at last,
"You stand approved, you did your best!"
—Simpson

The diligent workman has no cause for shame and is not liable to be put
to shame when his work is inspected.

Application: Could I challenge
you to consider measuring all your thoughts, words and
deeds by the phrase...

The
present tense
calls for us to continually rightly divide the Word of Truth. We
are to take no short cuts or vacations when it comes to handling God's
Worth in a trustworthy manner. Every time you teach or
preach God's Word of truth you must seek by the Spirit's illumination
and the enabling grace of Christ to cut the Word of Truth straight. In
marked contrast
are the false teachers who twist the Scriptures to their temporal
benefit and their and their hearers eternal detriment!

John MacArthur explains
that "Because Paul is a tentmaker, he may
have been using an expression that tied in with his trade. When Paul
made tents, he used certain patterns. In those days tents were made from
the skins of animals in a patchwork sort of design. Every piece would
have to be cut and fit together properly. Paul was simply saying, "If
one doesn't cut the pieces right, the whole won't fit together
properly." It's the same thing with Scripture. If one doesn't interpret
correctly the different parts, the whole message won't come through
correctly. In Bible study and interpretation the Christian should cut it
straight. He should be precise... and accurate. (MacArthur,
J: The Charismatics. Zondervan)

NIDNTT adds that "orthotomeo is found elsewhere only at
Prov. 3:6 (In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make
your paths straight.) and Pr 11:5 (Lxx = Righteousness
traces out blameless paths: but ungodliness encounters unjust dealing.),
where it is used in connexion with (hodos = way, path) cutting a path in
a straight direction. It is connected with temno, cut. The idea is that
of cutting a path through a forest or difficult terrain so that the
traveller may go directly to his destination (Arndt, 584). The vb.
occurs only at 2 Tim. 2:15 where the RSV has: “Do your best to present
yourself to God as one approved, a workman who has no need to be
ashamed, rightly handling [orthotomounta] the word of truth.” The phrase
may be compared with Plato, Laws 7, 801E: “to proceed along the way of
legislation which has been cleared [tetmemenen hodon] by our present
discourse.” Arndt suggests that the meaning in 2 Tim. is to guide the
word of truth along a straight path, like a road that goes straight to
its goal. Other interpretations are to teach the word aright, expound it
soundly, shape rightly, and preach fearlessly (cf. Moulton-Milligan, 456
f.). (Brown,
Colin, Editor. New International Dictionary of NT Theology. 1986.
Zondervan)

The careful exegete and expositor of God’s word of truth must be
meticulous in the way he interprets and pieces together the many
individual truths found in Scripture. The first and most important
principle is that of basing doctrine and standards of living on
Scripture alone (SolaScriptura), a key watchword of the Protestant
Reformation.

The image of orthotomeo is that of laying out a road. The teacher is to lay out a
clearly marked pathway for others to walk. This effort requires study.
Teachers are those who have been gifted by the Spirit and have devoted
their minds to God so that they might impart His wisdom to His people.
The Word of God however can be abused as well as used. It is always in
danger of being distorted by teachers who handle it casually. The only
effective way to prevent distortion of the Word of truth is diligent
preparation at the study desk.

Where teachers and learners are lax in
their study of the Scriptures, Bible classes are often filled with
godless chatter and vain babblings. Instead of becoming mature in the
faith, members and teachers become ungodly. Yet they claim success
because their teaching becomes so popular, spreading "like gangrene.''

Spurgeon commenting on
"handling accurately" writes "“﻿Rightly dividing, or Straight Cutting. A ploughman stands here with
his plough, and he ploughs right along from this end of the field to the
other, making a straight furrow. And so Paul would have Timothy make a
straight furrow right through the word of truth. I believe there is no
preaching that God will ever accept but that which goes decidedly
through the whole line of truth from end to end, and is always thorough,
honest, and downright. As truth is a straight line, so must our handling
of the truth be straightforward and honest, without shifts or tricks.
There are two or three furrows which I have labored hard to plough. One
is the furrow of free grace. “﻿Salvation is of the Lord,﻿” — he begins
it, he carries it on, he completes it. Salvation is not of man, neither
by man, but of grace alone. Grace in election, grace in redemption,
grace in effectual calling, grace in final perseverance, grace in
conferring the perfection of glory; it is all grace from beginning to
end. If we say at any time anything which is really contrary to this
distinct testimony that salvation is of grace, believe us not. This
furrow must be ploughed fairly, plainly, and beyond all mistake. Sinner,
you cannot be saved by any merit, penance, preparation, or feeling of
your own. The Lord alone must save you as a work of gratis mercy, not
because you deserve it, but because he wills to no it to magnify his
abundant love. That is the straight furrow of the Word. (click
full sermon "Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth")

Barclay comments that orthotomeo
"literally means to cut rightly. It has many pictures in it. Calvin
connected it with a father dividing out the food at a meal and cutting
it up so that each member of the family received the right portion. Beza
connected it with the cutting up of sacrificial victims so that each
part was correctly apportioned to the altar or to the priest.
The Greeks themselves used the word in three different connections. They
used it for driving a straight road across country, for ploughing a
straight furrow across a field, and for the work of a mason in cutting
and squaring a stone so that it fitted into its correct place in the
structure of the building. So the man who rightly divides the word of
truth, drives a straight road through the truth and refuses to be lured
down pleasant but irrelevant bypaths; he ploughs a straight furrow
across the field of truth; he takes each section of the truth, and fits
it into its correct position, as a mason does a stone, allowing no part
to usurp an undue place and so knock the whole structure out of balance.
(Barclay,
W: The Daily Study Bible)

Thy word is very pure. It is truth
distilled, holiness in its quintessence. In the word of God there is no
admixture of error or sin. It is pure in its sense, pure in its
language, pure in its spirit, pure in its influence, and all this to the
very highest degree -- "very pure."

"Therefore thy servant loveth it,"
which is a proof that he himself was pure in heart, for only those who
are pure love God's word because of its purity. His heart was knit to
the word because of its glorious holiness and truth. He admired it,
delighted in it, sought to practise it, and longed to come under its
purifying power.

George Horne - Thy word is very pure. In the
original, "tried, purified, like gold in the furnace," absolutely
perfect, without the dross vanity and fallibility, which runs through
human writings. The more we try the promises, the surer we shall find
them. Pure gold is so fixed, Boerhaave, informs us of an ounce of it set
in the eye of a glass furnace for two months, without losing a single
grain.

John Morison - Thy word is very pure;
therefore, etc. The word of God is not only "pure," free from all
base admixture, but it is a purifier; it cleanses from sin and guilt
every heart with which into comes into contact. "Now ye are clean," said
Jesus Christ to his disciples, "by the word which I have spoken unto
you": John 15:3. It is this its pure quality combined with its tendency
to purify every nature that yields to its holy influence, that endears
it to every child of God. Here it is that he finds those views of the
divine character, those promises, those precepts, those representations
of the deformity of sin, of the beauty of holiness, which lead him,
above all things, to seek conformity to the divine image. A child of God
in his best moments does not wish the word of God brought down to a
level with his own imperfect character, but desires rather that his
character may be gradually raised to a conformity to that blessed word.
Because it is altogether pure, and because it tends to convey to those
who make it their constant study a measure of its own purity, the child
of God loves it, and delights to meditate in it day and night.

Sir William Jones
(1746-1794) wrote...

Thy word is very pure. Before
I knew the word of God in spirit and in truth, for its great antiquity,
its interesting narratives, its impartial biography, its pure morality,
its sublime poetry, in a word, for its beautiful and wonderful variety,
I preferred it to all other books; but since I have entered into its
spirit, like the Psalmist, I love it above all things for its purity;
and desire, whatever else I read, it may tend to increase my knowledge
of the Bible, and strengthen my affection for its divine and holy
truths.

Graham writes the following
concerning "Thy word"...

Let us refresh our minds and our
memories with some of the Scripture adjuncts connected with "the word,"
and realize, in some degree at least, the manifold relations which it
bears both to God and our souls. It is called "the word of Christ,"
because much of it was given by him, and it all bears testimony to
him...It is called "the word of his grace," because the glorious theme
on which it loves to expatiate is grace, and especially grace as it is
seen in Christ's dying love for sinful men. It is called ololoj tou
staurou, "the word of the cross" (1 Corinthians 1:18), because in the
crucifixion of the divine Redeemer we see eternal mercy in its brightest
lustre. It is called "the word of the gospel," because it brings glad
tidings of great joy to all nations. It is called "the word of the
kingdom," because it holds out to all believers the hope of an
everlasting kingdom of righteousness and peace. It is called "the word
of salvation," because the purpose for which it was given is the
salvation of sinners. It is called "the word of truth," because, as
Chillingworth says, it has God for its author, salvation for its end,
and truth without mixture of error for its contents. And we will only
add, it is called "the word of life," because it reveals to a sinful,
perishing world the doctrines of life and immortality. -- IV. Graham, in
"A Commentary on the First Epistle of John," 1857.

><>><>><>

Rightly Dividing The Word - In
1879, James Murray was hired as the editor of The Oxford English
Dictionary. He had little advanced education, but he was a gifted
linguist. Murray enlisted a large number of volunteers around the world
to read widely and send him usages of assigned words. At Oxford, he and
a small staff of scholars cataloged and edited the definitions they
received.

During his lifetime, Murray was knighted and awarded an honorary
doctorate from Oxford. Today, the 20-volume Oxford English Dictionary is
still recognized as one of the most accurate and comprehensive
dictionaries in the world.

Murray’s legacy of precision and accuracy with words reminds me of what
the apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, a young pastor of the Ephesian
church: “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who
does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth” (2Ti
2:15). The phrase “rightly dividing” is a metaphor derived from the
stonemason’s craft of cutting stones straight to fit into their proper
place in a building.

(Ed comment: If
a man like James Murray would be willing to invest such zeal and passion
for that which is passing, how much more invigorated and motivated
should believers be to purely divide and passionately proclaim the
living and active, eternal, life changing Word of Truth!)

Correctly handling the Word of truth
Takes diligence and care;
So make the time to study it
And then that truth declare. —Hess

Rightly dividing the Word
multiplies our understanding.

><>><>><>

Imagine That! By Anne Cetas -
My friends and I were anticipating a contemplative time looking at a
collection of artwork about the prodigal son who returned home to a
forgiving father (Luke 15). When we arrived at the information table, we
noticed the brochures, books, and a sign pointing to the artwork.

Also on the table was a dinner plate with bread, a napkin, and a glass.
Each of us privately pondered what the significance of the plate could
be. We wondered if it represented communion fellowship between the
prodigal son and his father when he returned home. But as we examined it
more closely, we realized simultaneously: Someone had left a dirty plate
on the display table. And it wasn’t bread, but leftover cookie bars! Our
imaginations had been wrong.

We had a good laugh, but then it made me think about how sometimes we
imagine more than what’s really there while reading the Bible. Rather
than assuming that our speculation is correct, however, we need to be
sure our interpretation fits with the whole of Scripture. Peter said
that “no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation” (2
Peter 1:20). As we depend on the Spirit’s instruction, a careful study
of the context, and the wisdom of respected Bible teachers, we’ll avoid
seeing things in the Word that aren’t really there. (Imagine
That! - Our Daily Bread)

We must correctly hear God’s Word,
Or we will be misled;
We must give careful thought and prayer
To what the Author said.
—Hess

A text out of context is often a dangerous pretext.

THE WORD OF TRUTH: ton logon tes aletheias:

Word of Truth - What a
beautiful name for the Bible, especially in a world which is becoming
more and more the opposite, where men's words are no longer binding. How
we need to remember that Satan is a liar, the father of lies and has no
truth in him, which emphasizes our great need to be totally dependent on
the Word of Truth to counter his evil but very deceptive lies! Take a
moment and ponder each of the 5 Biblical uses of this great phrase
Word of Truth (Ps. 119:43; 2Co. 6:7; Col. 1:5; 2Ti 2:15; Jas 1:18)

Think of God's Word of Truth
as the "sun" (Son) and then consider how the planets function in
such order as they rotate around the sun. In a similar way believers
should live their entire Christian life within the orbit of God's Word
of Truth, ultimately manifest in the Logos, His precious Son, Our Lord
and King. Amen.

The following "outlines" on the
Word of Truth are adapted from Spurgeon's notes on Psalm 119:140
(see notes directly preceding)

The
crystal stream (of the Word of Truth)

(a) Flows
from under the throne.
(b) Mirrors heaven.
(c) Undefiled through the ages.
(d) Nourishes holiness as it flows.

The
enraptured pilgrim.

(a) Keeping
by its brink.
(b) Delighted with its lucid depths.

Pleased
with its mirrored revelations -- self, heaven, God.

Cleansed
and refreshed by its waters. --W.B.H

><> ><> ><>

The purity
of God's Word (of Truth)

(a) It
proceeds from a perfectly pure source: "Thy word."
(b) It reveals a purity otherwise unknown.
(c) It treats impure subjects with absolute purity.
(d) It inculcates the most perfect purity.
(e) It produces such purity in those who are subject to its power. --

The love
which its purity inspires in gracious souls.

(a) They love
it because, while it reveals their natural impurity, it shows them how
to escape from it.
(b) They love it because it conforms them to its own purity.
(c) They love it because to a pure heart the purity of the word is one
of its chief commendations. --

The
evidences of this love to the pure word.

(a) Desire to
possess it in its purity.
(b) Subjection to its spirit and teachings.
(c) Zeal for its honour and diffusion. --W.H.J.P.

Word (3056)
(logosfromlégō = to
speak with words; English = logic, logical) means something said
and describes a communication whereby the mind finds expression in
words. Although Lógos is most often translated word which
Webster defines as "something that is said, a statement, an utterance",
the Greek understanding of lógos is somewhat more complex.

Cremer explains that
lógos is used of the living, spoken word,

the word not in its outward form, but
with reference to the thought connected with the form,… in short, not
the word of language, but of conversation, of discourse; not the word as
a part of speech, but the word as part of what is uttered.

Barclay adds that

the Greek term for word is lógos;
but lógos does not only mean word; it also means reason. For
John, and for all the great thinkers who made use of this idea, these
two meanings were always closely intertwined. Whenever they used
lógos the twin ideas of the Word of God and the Reason of God were
in their minds.

In the Greek mind and as used by
secular and philosophical Greek writers, lógos did not mean
merely the name of an object but was an expression of the thought behind
that object's name. Let me illustrate this somewhat subtle nuance in the
meaning of lógos with an example from the Septuagint (LXX)

(Greek of the Hebrew
OT) in which lógos is used in the well known phrase the Ten
Commandments.

The Septuaginttranslates this phrase using the word
lógos as “the ten (deka) words (logoi)” (Ex 34:28), this phrase giving us the familiar term Decalogue.
Clearly each of the "Ten Commandments" is not just words but words which
express a thought or concept behind those words.

That which corresponds
to or adequately expresses what is real (Pocket Dictionary of
Apologetics and Philosophy of Religion).

This then is the essence of the
meaning of lógos and so it should not be surprising that
depending on the context lógos is translated with words such as
"saying, instruction, message, news, preaching, question, statement,
teaching, etc". This understanding of lógos also helps understand
John's repeated usage of this Greek word as a synonym for the second
Person of the Godhead, the Lord Jesus Christ (see
discussion below).

Truth (225)
(aletheia from a =
indicates following word has the opposite meaning ~ without +
lanthano
= to be hidden or concealed, to escape notice, cp our English "latent"
from Latin = to lie hidden) has the literal sense of that which contains nothing hidden.
Aletheia is that which is not concealed. Aletheia is that which that is seen
or expressed as it really is (this idea is discussed more below).

The basic understanding of
aletheia is that it is the manifestation of a hidden
reality (eg, clickdiscussion of Jesus as
"the Truth"). For example, when you are a witness in a trial, the court
attendant says "Raise your right hand. Do you swear that you will tell
the truth and nothing but the truth so help you God?" And you say, "I
do" and you sit down. The question the court attendant is asking is "Are
you willing to come into this courtroom and manifest something
that is hidden
to us that only you know so that you will bear evidence to that?"
Therefore when you speak the truth, you are manifesting a "hidden
reality". Does that make sense? An parallel example in Scripture is
the case of the woman in the crowd who had touched Jesus (Read context =
Mk 5:24-25, 26-27, 28-29, 30, 31-32), but when she became "aware of
what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him, and told Him
the whole truth " (Mk 5:33) and nothing but the truth. She did
not lie. She spoke no falsehoods.

Truth then is the correspondence between a reality and a
declaration which professes to set forth or describe the reality.
To say it another way, words spoken or written are true
when they correspond with objective reality. Persons and things
are true when they correspond with their profession (which we
describe with words like integrity, sincerity, non-hypocritical, etc).
In other words, "what you see is what you get". Hence a truth is a
declaration which has corresponding reality, or a reality which is
correctly set forth. Since God is Himself the great reality, that which
correctly sets forth His nature is pre-eminently the Truth of Creation
(Natural Revelation) and the Truth of Scripture (Special Revelation).
Thus it is not surprising that rebellious, sinful men actively hold down
or suppress the Truth of Creation (and the glorious Creator) (Ro 1:18)
and even exchange this clearly manifested (and objective) reality
(Creation) for a lie (Ro 1:25).

THE GOD
OF
TRUTH

One of the attributes of
God is Truth. God is the definition of truth; He is
absolutely true, and all truth accords with God’s actions. God is all
that He as God should be and that His word and revelation are completely
reliable. He is absolutely dependable, without falseness of any
kind. God’s plan, principles, and promises are completely reliable,
accurate, real, and factual. God is real not imaginary, vain and empty
like the idols of the pagans, who represent a so-called god of their own
vain imagination. Truth can be depended upon and does not fail, change,
or disappoint and so practically God's promises are all yea and amen in
Christ Jesus and His word cannot fail or disappoint. The practical
aspect of God's unchanging truthfulness is that we can stand on His
promises with full assurance of faith no matter how we feel, no matter
how dire our circumstances. We can trust and rest on this great
attribute of God, forever and forever. Amen. And since God is truth, He
desires that those who would give a proper opinion of Him also be
truthful in the words and deeds. (Ro 12:9). Scripture on God is truth:
Ex 34:6; Nu 23:19; Ps 19:9; 91:4; 100:5; 146:6; Isa 25:1; 65:16 Da 4:37;
Mic7:20; Jn 17:17; 2 Cor 1:20; Rev 16:7.
Jesus proclaimed, “I am the truth” (Jn 14:6). His word to mankind is
absolutely reliable and can be trusted implicitly. It means He will
never renege on any promise He has made. (See also Truthfulby C H Spurgeon; The Truth of Godby Bob Deffinbaugh; The Truth of Godby Thomas Watson - Scroll
down; Of the Veracity of Godby John Gill; Let God Be True!by Richard Strauss)

Lewis Sperry Chafer writes
that "Truth" is

"the character of God is in view when
He is called the God of Truth. He not only advances and confirms that
which is true, but in faithfulness abides by His promise, and executes
every threat or warning He has made. Apart from the element of truth in
God there would be no certainty whatsoever in this life, and men would
wander on in comfortless perplexity not knowing whence they came or
whither they are going. Without truth in God, a revelation is only a
mockery. On the contrary, as asserted in the Bible, “Let God be true,
but every man a liar” (Ro3:4). Though men deceive, the veracity of God
can never be questioned to the slightest degree. Truth in God is surety
that what He has disclosed is according to the nature of things and that
His disclosures may be depended upon with plenary certainty. This
certainty characterizes alike every revelation from God by whatever
means."(Biblical
Theism Pt 3/4 The Attributes of God - Bibliotheca Sacra: Vol. 96, Page
14-16, 1939 - full access cost $50/yr
but gives access to 1000's of conservative theological articles which
are searchable by subject and by Scripture-Click
for info)

Charles Simeon wrote that

truth is a conformity of our feelings and actions to our
professions and this God requires of us in the whole of our spirit and
conduct.

Noah Webster defined
truth as

Conformity to fact or reality; exact
accordance with that which is, or has been, or shall be. (1828
Dictionary)

Nelson's New Illustrated
Dictionary says truths is

conformity to fact or actuality;
faithfulness to an original or to a standard. In the Old and New
Testaments, truth is a fundamental moral and personal quality of God.
(Ex 34:6, Dt 32:4, Ps 25:10)

Friberg gives one of the
best summaries of aletheia (the following is modified slightly)
and includes the Greek word that is the antonym...

(1) Truth speaks of what has
certainty and validity (Ep 4.21), The opposite = plane [word study]= going astray from the
path of truth, thus error

Aletheia is a reality which
is firm, solid, binding. When aletheia is used of individuals, it
characterizes their action, their words or their thoughts and conveys
the general sense of integrity (integer = one) (See
Integrity - A Few Thoughts)

Truth
is the correspondence between a reality and a declaration which
professes to set it forth. Words are true when they
correspond with objective reality: Persons and things are true when they
correspond with their profession. Hence a truth is a
declaration which has corresponding reality, or a reality which is
correctly set forth. Since God is Himself the great reality, that which
correctly sets forth His nature is pre-eminently the Truth. Ultimately
Jesus is "the Truth" and He is "the Word".

Aletheia speaks of
veracity, reality, sincerity, accuracy, integrity ("what you see is what
you get").

Vine - Aletheia, truth
"expresses that which is consistent with reality."

Aletheia is the opposite of
fictitious, feigned, false.

TRUTH
or CONSEQUENCES
THE
BATTLE:
TRUTH vs UNTRUTH

Charles Spurgeon once said
that

The spotless purity of truth must always be at war with the blackness of
heresy and lies.

God deals in truth, but Satan
traffics in untruth (lies) (Jn 8:44). As a corollary God deals in
faith, while Satan traffics in fear (What then is the
"antidote" for fear? See Fear, How to Handle It). It follows that spiritual warfare
is not a power struggle as much as it is a truth struggle and the
battlefield is our mind. The only way to defeat the lie of the devil is
with the truth of God and His Word. It therefore behooves all believers
to make it their continual practice to take in the Word of Truth that we
might be able to wage war with the deceiving Devil. Jesus is our model
in this spiritual war with unseen forces of darkness, fending off the
enemies fiery missiles of temptation and lies with the Word of truth in
Deuteronomy (Mt 4:3-4 quoting Dt 8:3, Mt 4:5,6, 7 quoting Dt 6:16, Mt
4:8-9, 10 quoting Dt 6:13, 10:20). Beloved, if Jesus memorized the truth
of Scripture to counter to lies of Satan, how can we do less? (See Memorizing His
Word and Memory Verses by Topic)
The only antidote for the poison of Satan's lies is the Truth of God's
Word. "God’s truth stops the spin of Satan’s lies." (See
Breaking The Spin Cycle - Our Daily Bread)

Beloved, if you need some
motivation to be a good soldier of Christ Jesus in this war (2Ti 2:3,4)
take a moment and let this grand old hymn stir the passions in your
heart...

Mine eyes have seen
the glory of the coming of the Lord;
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword;
His truth is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on.

In the beauty of
the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me:
As He died to make men holy, let us live to make men free;
While God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on.
(Play
- Battle Hymn of the Republic)

And if that doesn't make your
pulse quicken listen to Martin Luther's great hymn...

And though this
world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph
through us:
The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure,One little (truth) word shall fell him.

That word (truth) above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him who with us sideth:
Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;
The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still,
His kingdom is forever.
(Play
- A Mighty Fortress Is Our God)

><>><>><>

Truth is like a
"bluegill" fish in our continual "war of terror"

San Francisco and New York City are
using bluegill fish to check for the presence of toxins in their
water supply, which could be a possible target for a terrorist attack. A
small number of bluegills are kept in a tank at the bottom of some water
treatment plants because the fish are sensitive to chemical imbalances
in their environment. When a disturbance is present in the water, the
bluegills react against it.

Like these bluegills, Paul wanted the Galatians to beware of and react
against any toxic disturbance in the “true gospel” that was being
preached. The toxin was defined as the false principle that God grants
acceptance to people and considers them righteous on the basis of their
obedience to a set of rules (especially circumcision and dietary laws).
In short, obedience to the law was needed, apart from faith in Jesus.
This false teaching was a toxic disturbance of the truth and the
Galatians were told to react strongly against it. Paul said that anyone
preaching a gospel that is not based on grace through faith in Christ
alone should be accursed (Gal. 1:8, 9).

Lord, teach us from
Your holy Word
All error to discern,
And by Your Spirit’s light help us
From Satan’s snares to turn. —Bosch

If you know the
truth,
you can discern what’s false.

><>><>><>

Alvin Plantinga adds that

The contemporary intellectual world
is a battle or arena in which rages a battle for our souls.

James Dobson concurs noting
that

The heated dispute over values in
Western nations is simply a continuation of the age-old struggle between
the principles of righteousness and the kingdom of darkness.

Blaise Pascal (1623-1662)
describing his own day

Truth is so obscure in these times and falsehood so established,
that unless we love the truth, we can not know it.

J. C. Ryle

Let us never forget that truth, distorted and exaggerated, can
become the mother of the most dangerous heresies.

The Theological Lexicon of the
NT says

To speak the whole truth is to
conceal nothing, and alētheia is the opposite of lying or forgetfulness.
An event is true (alēthēs) when it is unveiled; a hidden reality becomes
explicit. A person who is true or sincere is one who conceals nothing
and does not try to deceive.

Greek philosophy and religious
strivings were dominated by the search for truth (Thucydides 1.20.3), as
Plato explicates it: “By searching for truth I strive to make myself
as perfect as possible in life and, when the time comes to die, in
death.” The truth not only gives life; it gives the good life (Epictetus
1.4.31; 3.24.40), because it orients action: “If you knew the truth,
you would necessarily act rightly.” (Spicq, C., & Ernest, J. D.
Theological Lexicon of the New Testament. 1:66. Peabody, MA.:
Hendrickson. 1994)

Comment: How fascinating that
the pagans had within them (surely placed there by God) a sense of the
importance of truth in order to assure a genuine appreciation of this
present life. So close but yet so far for they did not know "the Truth"
(Jn 14:6)!

Whatever God says is truth and so
is to be regarded as the standard of all truth. In Christ's high
priestly prayer, He declares that the Word of God is truth (John 17:17).
In other words, the Word of God does not just contain truth (which of
course it does), but is truth in its very essence.

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of
Truth, the One Who leads Christians into all spiritual truth (Jn 16:13).
And because the Holy Spirit is truth, the world cannot comprehend Him
and His ministry (John 14:17).

Wayne Detzler adds that
aletheia

was seen mainly as a contrast with a
lie. Homer wrote that a lie is either the absence of truth or a partial
truth. If one deceived another by telling only part of the truth, this
was a lie. In writing his Odyssey, Homer mentioned the role of a
judge in a race. His job was to tell the truth about the winners and
losers of a race.

Thucydides contrasted truth with exaggeration. Anyone who
expanded or embellished the truth was really telling a lie. Thus truth
is contrasted with boasting or flattery.

Plato contrasted truth with appearance. Some things may appear to
be real, but actually are an illusion.

Truth is seen mainly by contrast. It contrasts with a lie of statement
or understatement. Another contrast is seen between truth and
exaggeration. Finally, truth stands out in contrast with appearance....

Truth in the Scripture is tied
inextricably to the person of our God. He is the 380 Source of all
truth, and the Trinity emphasizes this aspect of God's character. No
Christian can either know or practice truth, apart from constant
reliance on the One who is Truth. He is Truth, because He conforms to
and indeed creates ultimate reality. (Wayne A Detzler. New Testament
Words in Today's Language)

Mounce...

Perhaps the most common use of the
noun alētheia and the two corresponding adjectives is to refer to
something that is accurate. For example, Paul claims before Festus and
Agrippa that what he said regarding Jesus and the resurrection is “the
truth” and reasonable (Acts 26:25). Jesus’ testimony is true and valid
because the Father testifies about him (Jn 5:31, 32; cf. Rev 21:5;
22:6); our testimony about Jesus is also true (Titus 1:13; 3 Jn. 12).
But truth is not only in statements. Paul uses that adjective
alēthinos to describe God Himself. The Thessalonians turned from
idols in order to “serve the living and true God” (1Th. 1:9). And
because God is true, what God speaks is also truth; “your word is
truth” (Jn 17:17). Not only is God true, but Jesus is “True” as well
(Rev 19:11). He is “full of grace and truth” (Jn 1:14, 17). In
fact, Jesus Himself is “truth” (Jn 14:6), and if we are His
disciples, we will “know the truth” (Jn 8:32). Jesus is “the true vine,”
through which his followers draw nourishment. John uses the adjective
alēthēs to denote a spiritual reality about Jesus that is beyond the
observable world. Jesus proclaims that his flesh is “true food” and his
blood is “true drink” (Jn 6:55). Furthermore, especially in John’s
writings, the Holy Spirit is referred to as the “Spirit of truth”
(Jn 14:17; 15:26; 16:13; cf. 1Jn. 4:6; 5:6). The Holy Spirit recalls to
our minds the words of Jesus and certifies to our hearts that they are
true (Jn 15:26). (Mounce's
Complete Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words. Grand
Rapids, MI: Zondervan or
Computer version)

Aletheia is a key word in
the Gospel of John (24x or almost 1 in 4 NT uses - also 28x in John's
epistles - 1Jn =16, 2Jn=5, 3Jn=7) but is much less common in the
synoptic Gospels (7x in all 3 Synoptics).

Horatio Bonar wrote that...

Truth is not the feeble thing which
men often think they can afford to disparage. Truth is power; let it be
treated and trusted as such.

Note the association of
aletheia with the Gospel (Col 1:5, Gal 2:5, Ep 1:13). The
Gospel is the expression of truth, ultimately the truth about God, the
truth about man in sin and the truth about the provision of redemption
from our sinful state. Although 1Ti 2:4 and 2Ti 2:25 do not use the word
"Gospel", clearly the context of both passages associates salvation
(which comes only through the Gospel) and the knowledge of the truth.
Sadly, truth can be turned aside from (2Ti 2:18) or resisted (2Ti 3:8).
To turn from the truth of the Gospel does not make it any less true!

Ralph Martin...

Whereas truth in Western
cultures often concerns facts that can be proven logically or
scientifically, truth in the NT may deal with genuine, dependable,
faithful behavior or “things as they really are” in contrast to
something that has been hidden or concealed... . A matter of truth is
rarely defended with logical arguments, but instead the author often
appeals to the source of revealed truth or assumes the veracity of the
claims. Furthermore, whereas today it is commonplace to question the
truth of God’s existence, this existence was typically assumed in NT
contexts. (Martin, R. P., & Davids, P. H. Dictionary of the later New
Testament and its developments. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press)

Wayne Detzler quotes the
famous British expositor ...

Alexander
Maclaren (1826-1910), commented concerning truth: "If a man will not
think about Christian truth he will not have the blessedness of
Christian possession of God." (Then Detzler adds)The secret to
Christ's presence is meditation on the truths of the Scriptures.

Matthew 22:16
And they (Pharisees) sent their disciples (learners) to Him, along with
the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that You are truthful and teach
the way of God in truth, and defer to no one; for You are not
partial to any.

Mark 5:33 But the woman fearing and trembling, aware of what had
happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole
truth.

Comment:
Truth that is not "whole" is a "partial" truth, which
by any other name is a lie.

Mark 12:14 They came and said to Him, "Teacher, we know that You are
truthful (alethes = adjective) and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any, but teach
the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay a poll-tax to
Caesar, or not?

Mark 12:32 The scribe said to Him, "Right, Teacher; You have truly
stated that HE IS ONE, AND THERE IS NO ONE ELSE BESIDES HIM;

Luke 4:25 "But I say to you in truth, there were many widows in
Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up for three years
and six months, when a great famine came over all the land;

Luke 20:21 They questioned Him, saying, "Teacher, we know that You speak
and teach correctly, and You are not partial to any, but teach the way
of God in truth.

Luke 22:59 After about an hour had passed, another man began to insist,
saying, "Certainly (more literally = "of a truth") this man also
was with Him, for he is a Galilean too."

John 1:14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His
glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and
truth.

John 1:17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth
were realized through Jesus Christ.

Youngblood: Jesus and the revelation the Spirit of truth gave
through His apostles are the final, ultimate revelation and definition
of truth about God, people, redemption, history, and the world. “The law
was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ”
(John 1:17). (See devotional -
Faith Rooted In History)

John 3:21 "But he who practices (present
tense = as
his lifestyle, the "general direction" of his life) the truth
comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been
wrought in God." (See contrast Jn 3:20 where "does" = prasso =
practices and the tense is
present = as
his lifestyle).

Comment:
The point is that truth is not just something we are to believe is
something we are to do! One who truly desires light and truth
will not only believe the truth, but do what is true (contrast 1Jn 1:6). As a corollary, the very doing of truth by a
person is one of the indicators that he or she is a genuine believer.

One of the
believer's purposes on earth is not to get used to the dark but to walk
in the light!

As Spurgeon
said "The practice of truth is the most profitable reading of it."

John 4:23 But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true (alethinos)
worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such
people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. 24 God is spirit, and
those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.

John 5:33 "You have sent to John, and he has testified to the truth.

Comment:
John was a "witness" who spoke the whole truth and nothing but the truth
about Jesus, the incarnate Truth.

Comment:
In essence Jesus is saying that one's future loyalty to His teaching
will prove the reality of one's present profession. How potentially
deceptive it is in the modern church where we accept church members on
profession of trust in Christ. The critical principle Jesus teaches is
that continuance in the Word proves the sincerity or insincerity of
one's profession. This is the acid test of legitimate spiritual
rebirth/regeneration. He who endures to the end will be saved. One's
endurance does not save anyone but does prove that one is
truly born from above. Practically speaking if one says they believe in
Christ and yet has no significant change in their lifestyle and has no
desire for the Word, either to study it or obey it, then they must
seriously consider that they may have deceived themselves into believing
they possess a "ticket to heaven" when in fact they may be on the broad
road to destruction (Cp the somber words of Jesus Who teaches that many
will say "Lord, Lord" in that future judgment day - Mt 7:21,22-note).

When Harvard University was founded, its motto was Veritas Christo et
Ecclesiae--"Truth for Christ and the Church." Its crest showed three
books, one face down to symbolize the limitation of human knowledge. But
in recent decades that book has been turned face up to represent the
unlimited capacity of the human mind. And the motto has been changed to
Veritas--"Truth."

John 8:40 "But as it is, you are seeking to kill Me, a man who has told
you the truth, which I heard from God; this Abraham did not do.

John 8:44 "You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the
desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does
not stand in the truth because there is no (ou = absolute
negation) truth in him.
Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a
liar and the father of lies. 45 "But because I speak the truth,
you do not believe Me. 46 "Which one of you convicts Me of sin? If I
speak truth, why do you not believe Me?

Comment:
The essence of Satan is untruth (no truth, lies). Notice that those who
don't believe Jesus are the same who "believed" in Jn 8:31! They had
made a "profession" ("I believe in Jesus") but they did not continue to
abide in His Word (cp 2Jn 1:9, Mt 24:13 - but don't be confused - one
can continue to abide/endure only by His power - thus abiding/enduring
is not a meritorious work [does not save a person], but it is evidence
of genuine salvation [abiding simply proves what a person truly is]) and
therefore did not truly know the truth and therefore were not truly free
from enslavement to sin and Satan. Compare those who professed belief in
Titus 1:16-note.

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and
the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

O Word of God incarnate, O Wisdom
from on high,
O Truth unchanged, unchanging, O Light of our dark sky:
We praise You for the radiance that from the hallowed page,
A Lantern to our footsteps, shines on from age to age.
(Play
- O Word of God Incarnate)

Comment:
Jesus did not say He was "a" way, "a" truth, "a" life. The definite
article is present in the Greek indicating the specific, definitive
(way, truth, life). Some cults (eg, Jehovah's Witnesses) mistranslate it
with an "a" which removes the clear exclusivity of Jesus' declaration.
The implication is that their is no other way to God but through Him (a
truth explicitly stated elsewhere - eg, Acts 4:12).

Charles Simeon: As the Disciples might not be able
to reconcile this with the ceremonial law, which appeared to prescribe
other means of access to God (Keep context in mind = Jn 14:3, 4, 5), our
Lord informed them that the legal sacrifices were only shadows, of which
he was the substance (Col 2:17, He 10:1); and figurative
representations, of which He was the truth. There had been many
persons raised up as saviors and deliverers (Eg, Boaz the Kinsman
Redeemer, Gideon in Judges, etc). Many different things also were
intended to point out the way of salvation: the manna from heaven; the
water from the rock; the brazen serpent; the daily sacrifices, with
innumerable others; but they all pointed at Him as the one true
source of reconciliation, of healing, of spiritual vigour, and of
eternal salvation (In other words He was The Truth, the final
manifestation of the hidden reality, the One to whom all the OT
pointed). (Simeon,
C. Horae Homileticae Vol. 14: John XIII to Acts 27)

John 14:17 that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot
receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him
because He abides with you and will be in you. (See devotional -
Sweet Company)

John 15:26 "When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the
Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father,
He will testify about Me,

O send Thy Spirit, Lord, now unto me
That He may touch my eyes and make me see;
Show me the truth concealed within Thy Word,
And in Thy Book revealed I see Thee, Lord. —Lathbury

John 16:7 "But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that
I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but
if I go, I will send Him to you.

John 16:13 "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will
guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own
initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose
to you what is to come.

John 17:17 "Sanctify
(aorist
imperative =
in the form of a command) them in the truth; Your word is truth.

Comment:
In this foundational verse Jesus asks the Father (in the form of a
command which is interesting) to set apart His
disciples from the common, profane, unholy things of this sinful world and unto
the holy things of God and for His use as He pleases, with the ultimate
purpose being to glorify God. The vehicle is truth and the source
of truth is the holy Word. The practical implications of
this are "radical"
for not only are believers set apart (sanctified) at the time of
regeneration (by grace through faith) when they receive the Gospel
"implanted" (justification, a one time, never to be repeated event) but
they are set apart thereafter daily, progressively (progressive
sanctification) by truth (and the supernatural interaction of the
Spirit of Truth) which counters the lies and falsehoods that come at us
like a flood from the fallen anti-God world system which lies in the
hands of the evil one, the devil, the liar, the purveyor of all that is
not truth (1Jn 5:19, Jn 8:44)

Charles
Haddon Spurgeon offers a needed warning to modern pulpiteers who use
significant portions of the precious (and often shrinking) sermon time
to tell funny stories and/or lengthy personal illustrations. To these
men, Spurgeon would suggest the following exercise -- "Look up all the
passages of Scripture that prove that the instrument of our
sanctification is the Word of God. You will find that there are very
many. It is the Word of God that sanctifies the soul. The Spirit of God
brings to our minds the commands and precepts and doctrines of truth
(﻿Jn 14:26﻿), and applies them with power. These are heard in the ear,
and, being received in the heart, they work in us to will and to do of
God’s good pleasure (﻿Php 2:13﻿). How important, then, that the truth
should be preached! How necessary that you never tolerate a ministry
that leaves out the great doctrines or the great precepts of the Gospel!
The truth is the sanctifier, and if we do not hear the truth, we will
certainly not grow in sanctification." (The
Key to Holiness by C. H. Spurgeon- 3 Chapters [1] Perfection in
Faith [2] Threefold Sanctification [3] Perfect Sanctification)

Spurgeon
adds that "The Spirit of God brings to our minds the precepts and
doctrines of truth, and applies them with power. These are heard in the
ear, and being received in the heart, they work in us to will and to do
of God’s good pleasure. The truth is the sanctifier, and if we do not
hear or read the truth, we shall not grow in sanctification. We only
progress in sound living as we progress in sound understanding. “Thy
word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” Do not say of any
error, “It is a mere matter of opinion.” No man indulges an error of
judgment, without sooner or later tolerating an error in practice. Hold
fast the truth, for by so holding the truth shall you be sanctified by
the Spirit of God. (Excerpt from the last half of the devotional - to
read the full devotional click (Morning
and evening : Daily readings July 4 AM)

John 17:19 "For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also
may be sanctified in truth.

John 18:37 Therefore Pilate said to Him, "So You are a king?" Jesus
answered, "You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been
born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth.
Everyone who is of the truth hears (Ed: Includes the idea
of obeys) My voice." 38 Pilate said to
Him, "What is truth?" (Ed: Truth incarnate stood
before him! - Jn 14:6) And when he had said this, he went out
again to the Jews and said to them, "I find no guilt in Him.

MacArthur: Like skeptics of all ages, including contemporary
postmodernists, Pilate despaired of finding universal truth. This is the
tragedy of fallen man’s rejection of God. Without God, there cannot be
any absolutes; without absolutes, there can be no objective, universal,
normative truths. Truth becomes subjective, relative, pragmatic;
objectivity gives way to subjectivity; timeless universal principles
become mere personal or cultural preferences...Pilate’s flippant retort
proved that he was not one of those given by the Father to the Son, who
hear and obey Christ’s voice.

Charles
Simeon: Truth is of various kinds, physical, moral, and
religious. By physical truth, we mean that which comprehends all
the phenomena of nature: and by moral truth, that which relates
to the whole system of morals, independent of religion. That an inquiry
into these is important, appears from its having been the employment of
all wise men from the beginning of the world; and from the value that
has been set even on the smallest measures of truth which have, by means
of the most patient and laborious investigations, been at any time
brought to light. But religious truth, and that especially of
which our Lord came to testify, is, beyond all comparison, more
important than any other. What that truth is, we will state in few
words. The point upon which our blessed Lord was examined before the
Jewish council, was, “Art thou the Christ?” and that before Pilate, was,
“Art thou the King of the Jews?” To both of these he answered in the
affirmative, “I am.” Now these two points comprise all that truth,
respecting which our blessed Lord came to testify: first, He is the
anointed Saviour of the world; and, secondly, He is the King and
Governor of all whom he saves. This is truth: this is the sum and
substance of the Gospel﻿﻿: there is nothing connected with the
justification, the sanctification, or the complete and everlasting
salvation of mankind, which is not comprehended in this...

As Pilate
asked of Jesus, “What is truth?” so you are come hither professedly to
make the same inquiry. Behold then, in Christ’s stead we answer your
inquiry: This is truth; that Jesus is the Christ; and that his people
look unto him as the Saviour of the world. This is truth; that Jesus is
also the King of Israel; and that all who are his, submit to his
government — — — Now go not away, as Pilate did, regardless of your own
question; but reflect upon it; consider its importance; meditate on the
answer given to it; and examine your own hearts, how far you understand
it — — — how far you feel it — — — and how far your lives are conformed
to it — — — “If you know the truth, it will make you free:” (Jn 8:32)
but if it does not “sanctify you” in this world, it can never profit you
in the world to come.” (Simeon,
C. Horae Homileticae Vol. 14: John XIII to Acts. page 163)

Acts 4:27 "For truly in this city there were gathered together
against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and
Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel,

Acts 10:34 Opening his mouth, Peter said: "I most certainly
understand now that God is not one to show partiality,

Acts 26:25 But Paul said, "I am not out of my mind, most excellent
Festus, but I utter words of sober truth.

Truth =
purity from all error or falsehood. If you always tell the truth, you
will never be trapped in a lie.

Romans 1:18-note For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all
ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in
unrighteousness,

Comment:
In context of Romans 1, the truth they willfully "hold down" is the
truth about God as revealed in His creation (cp Ro 1:19-note,
Ro 1:20, 21-note,
Ro 1:22, 23-note,
Ro 1:24-note)

A T
Robertson: Truth (from a = privative... + lanthano = to
conceal) is out in the open, but wicked men, so to speak, put it in a
box and sit on the lid and “hold it down in unrighteousness.” Their evil
deeds conceal the open truth of God from men.

Romans 1:25-note For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and
worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is
blessed forever. Amen.

Comment:
Note the contrast between truth and lie and between worship of God or
worship of idols. John MacArthur adds that "Isaiah described a
pagan who held an idol in his hand but was too spiritually blind to ask
what should have been an obvious question: “﻿Is there not a lie in my
right hand?﻿” (﻿Is 44:20﻿)....To forsake God is to forsake truth and
become a slave to falsehood. To reject God, the Father of truth, is to
become vulnerable to Satan, the father of lies (﻿Jn 8:44﻿)."

Romans 2:2-note And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls
upon those who practice such things.

Romans 2:8-note but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the
truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation.

Romans 2:20-note a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of the immature,
having in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth,

Romans 3:7-note But if through my lie the truth of God abounded to His
glory, why am I also still being judged as a sinner?

Romans 9:1-note I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my
conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit,

Romans 15:8-note For I say that Christ has become a servant to the
circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the
promises given to the fathers,

1Corinthians 5:8 Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old
leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the
unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

1Corinthians 13:6-note does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with
the truth

2Corinthians 4:2 but we have renounced the things hidden because of
shame, not walking in craftiness or adulterating the word of God, but by
the manifestation of truth commending ourselves to every man's
conscience in the sight of God.

2Corinthians 6:7 in the word of truth, in the power of God; by
the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left

Comment:
Although some say "word of truth" is subjective (eg, in speaking or
teaching the truth), the objective sense is the better understanding and
refers to the Gospel, which Paul calls "the word of truth" in Col 1:5.
In either event (whether spoken or in the Scripture) the old truth of
God’s Word is ever new!

2Corinthians 7:14 For if in anything I have boasted to him about you, I
was not put to shame; but as we spoke all things to you in truth,
so also our boasting before Titus proved to be the truth.

Comment:
Paul could justifiably claim that his dealings with other Christians had
been marked by truth. Can you?

2Corinthians 11:10 As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting
of mine will not be stopped in the regions of Achaia.

2Corinthians 12:6 For if I do wish to boast I will not be foolish, for I
will be speaking the truth; but I refrain from this, so that no
one will credit me with more than he sees in me or hears from me.

Mounce:
Truth is not only something that we believe; it is also something that
we are called upon to speak and to practice. This connection
between truth and action is found throughout the NT. It is implied in
Paul’s distinctive use of aletheia to refer to the gospel he preached
(“the truth”), which is in contrast to the preaching of Paul’s opponents
who sought to repress the truth (2Co 12:6; Gal 2:5, 14; 1Ti 2:7). Paul
commends himself and his fellow workers to the scrutiny of his readers
in contrast to the false teachers (2Co 4:2) and implies that his
challengers will not endure such a test (Ed: Error they speak
and/or live versus the truth Paul speaks and lives out). He has suffered for the gospel,
and that suffering testifies to its truth (2Co 6:4-12). Christians are
expected to be truthful in this way, being honest (Ed: Speaking
truth) and having actions (Ed: Living out truth)
that reflect the commitment to truth (1Co 5:8; Ep 4:24, 25).
(Mounce's
Complete Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words. Grand
Rapids, MI: Zondervan or
Computer version)

2Corinthians 13:8 For we can do nothing against the truth, but
only for the truth.

John
MacArthur explains that "Aletheia (truth) refers here to the whole
of God’s revelation in Scripture (﻿cf.﻿ 2Co 6:7; Jn 17:17; Col 1:5; 2Ti
2:15; Jas 1:18). If the Corinthians were living in obedience to the
truth, Paul could not and would not discipline them. On the other hand,
he would not hesitate to act decisively for the truth if some of the
Corinthians persisted in disobedience. Loving the truth means honoring
it, and Paul would not hesitate to confront those who strayed from it.
(MacArthur,
J: 2Corinthians. Chicago: Moody PressorWordsearch)

Galatians 2:5 But we did not yield in subjection to them for even an
hour, so that the truthof the gospel would remain with you.

The life that counts must toil and
fight,
Must hate the wrong and love the right;
Must stand for truth, by day, by night—
This is the life that counts. —Anon.

Galatians 2:14 But when I saw that they were not straightforward about
the truthof the
gospel, I said to Cephas
in the presence of all, "If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and
not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like
Jews?

Galatians 5:7 You were running well; who hindered you from obeying thetruth?

Comment:
In the context of Galatians (eg, see Gal 2:5, 14), obeying the truth
equates with obeying the Gospel (cp repeated associations of "Gospel"
and "Truth" - Ep 1:13, Col 1:5) The truth
of the Gospel does not
merely call for intellectual assent (it does do that, but it requires a
heart response), but is to be obeyed (in the power of the Spirit and all
sufficient grace) and should
characterize one's new life in Christ.

Ephesians 1:13-note In Him, you also, after listening to the message of
truth, the gospel of your salvation-- having also believed, you were
sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,

Comment:
Implications? (1) Message of truth must be communicated without
compromise (Are you doing this?) (2) Message of truth must be listened
to (3) Message of truth must be "received" (cp Jn 1:11, 12) and believed
(not just in one's head but one's heart, cp Ro 10:9, 10) (4) Message of
truth is used by the Spirit to bring about salvation. In short, clearly
the effect of speaking the Truth of the Gospel is to bring about
regeneration in those who hear and believe the "message of truth". It
follows that we must strive according to His power which might works
within us to live out the reality of this message of truth, for then we
may receive opportunities to speak forth the life giving gospel of
salvation (cp 2Co 2:14, 15, 16).

Ephesians 4:21-note if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him,
just as truth is in Jesus,

Comment:
Not only is truth "in" Jesus. Jesus is "the truth". (Jn 1:14, 17, 14:6).
Jesus is the very essence of truth. Implication? This truth should
generate in each heart an ever increasing passion and desire to fix our
eyes on Him (He 12:2-note).

Ephesians 4:24-note
and put on the new self (cp 2Co 5:17-note),
which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and
holiness of the truth. 25 Therefore, laying aside falsehood,
SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE of you WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are members
of one another. (See devotional -
Good Communicators - Our Daily Bread)

Comment:
Truth is the opposite of falsehood and is clearly what those who are new
creatures ("new self") in Christ are now to speak to one another. Is your speech filled with truth
or is it laced with falsehood?

Righteousness follows when truth springs into action.

Ephesians 5:9-note (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and
righteousness and truth)

Barclay
comments: Truth (aletheia) is not in New Testament thought simply an
intellectual thing to be grasped with the mind; it is moral truth, not
only something to be known but something to be done. The light which
Christ brings makes us useful citizens of this world; it makes us men
and women who never fail in duty, human or divine; it makes us strong to
do that which we know is true.

Ephesians
6:14-note Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH,
and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS,

Comment:
Clearly truth is closely linked with righteousness (a
state that is in keeping with what God is in His holy character).
Righteousness is rightness of character before God and rightness of
actions before men. Both of these qualities are based on truth, which is
conformity to the Word and will of God. (See righteousness and
truth also linked in Eph 5:9-note)

Notice the
importance of truth in the Christian's armor - it is first in the list
for good reason. Truth is like the fountain and foundation for the other
elements. Righteousness follows when truth springs into
action.

MacArthur:
Aletheia (truth) basically refers to the content of that which is
true. The content of God’s truth is absolutely essential for the
believer in his battle against the schemes of Satan. Without knowledge
of biblical teaching, he is, as the apostle has already pointed out,
subject to being “﻿carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the
trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming﻿” (﻿4:14﻿)....But
alētheia (truth) can also refer to the attitude of truthfulness. It
represents not only the accuracy of specific truths but the quality of
truthfulness. That seems to be the primary meaning Paul has in mind
here. The Christian is to gird himself in an attitude of total
truthfulness. To be girded … with truth therefore shows an attitude of
readiness and of genuine commitment. It is the mark of the sincere
believer who forsakes hypocrisy and sham. (MacArthur,
J: Ephesians. Chicago: Moody PressorWordsearch)

Henry
Alford: Truth--not truth objective, which is rather the "word of
God" below, Ep 6:17, but "truthfulness," subjective truth: to be
understood however as based upon the faith and standing of a Christian,
necessarily his truthfulness in his place in Christ. As the
girdle...kept all together, so that an ungirded soldier would be a
contradiction in terms,—just so Truth is the band and expediter of the
Christian’s work in the conflict, without which all his armour would be
but encumbrance. (The
New Testament for English Readers Online)

The
Critical NT: Truth -- Not truth as known or believed, but as
innermost character of the man; truthfulness...Truth and righteousness
are often joined (Ep 5:9-note). The enemy must be conquered by all those
things which are contrary to him. (online)

Ryrie:
Truth holds everything together and refers to the believer's
integrity.

Henry
Morris: The "whole armour of God" (Ep 6:11-note,
Ep 6:13-note)
involves seven units, all of which are vital if we are to prevail
lastingly in the spiritual conflict with the great enemy of our souls.
We must, first of all, be strongly girded about with truth--the Word of
God, and all its counsel (John 17:17; Acts 20:27)--if we hope to stand
against the father of lies (John 8:44). (Defender's
Study Bible online)

Barnes:
Truth preserves a man from those lax views of morals, of duty, and of
religion, which leave him exposed to every assault. It makes the soul
sincere, firm, constant, and always on its guard. A man who has no
consistent views of truth, is just the man for the adversary
successfully to assail. (Barnes'
Notes)

A
Skevington Wood: Here truth (alētheia) is said to be the
soldier’s belt. Is it to be interpreted objectively as the truth of the
gospel (Ep 1:13-note;
Ep 4:15-note), or is it what the psalmist describes as “truth
in the inward being” (Ps 51:6RSV)? Something of both elements may be
combined, if we regard it as “the truth that is in Jesus” (Ep
4:21-note)
and “the fruit of the light” (Ep 5:9-note). Because the Christian has
accepted the truth of revelation and is now indwelt by the risen
Lord, who is Himself the truth, his life has truth (or
reality) as its basis and he displays the consistency of character that
springs from it. Certainly alētheia in this verse is closely
linked with dikaiosune [word study](righteousness) as
elsewhere in Ephesians (Ep 4:24; 5:9). (Gaebelein,
F, Editor: Expositor's Bible Commentary 6-Volume New Testament.
Zondervan Publishing or
computer version)

Philippians
1:18-note What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in
truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice. Yes, and I will
rejoice,

Colossians 1:5-note because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which
you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel 6 which has
come to you, just as in all the world also it (the word of truth, the
gospel) is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has
been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the
grace of God in truth;

Comment:
So here the word of truth equates with the Gospel. Note the importance of the word of truth in bearing fruit and growth.
Beloved, if you want sound, healthy saints who are continually growing in
Christlikeness, the only "bowl of Wheaties" that will make them
"spiritual champions" in Christ is the word of truth, the gospel! Are
you preaching the Word of truth whether it is convenient or not? Are you
discipling with the Word of truth? I fear too many have
set the pure milk of the word of truth on the sideline. We must return
to the ancient paths which was the same warning Jehovah spoke to
Judah...

2Thessalonians 2:10 and with all the deception of wickedness for those
who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to
be saved.

2Thessalonians 2:12 in order that they all may be judged who did not
believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness. 13 But we should
always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because
God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through
sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.

Comment:
The context is the day of deception of the Antichrist (2Th 2:10), at
which time God will send a deluding influence (Read 2Th 2:11) on all who
refused to believe the truth. Note the order is first they disbelieve
and then God sends delusion so that they believe the deceiving signs and
wonders of the Antichrist.

NOTE CONCENTRATION OF
ALETHEIA IN
PASTORAL
EPISTLES!
WHAT COULD BE THE SIGNIFICANCE?

1Timothy 2:4
who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge (epignosis= full knowledge) of the truth.

Marvin
Vincent comments that aletheia "appears 14 times in the
Pastorals, and always without a defining genitive....The logical
relation in the writer’s mind between salvation and the knowledge of
the truth is not quite clear. Knowledge of the truth may be regarded
as the means of salvation, or it may be the ideal goal of the whole
saving work. See 1Co 13:12; Php. 3:8; John 17:3. The latter is more in
accord with the general drift of teaching in these Epistles.

1Timothy 2:7 For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am
telling the truth, I am not lying) as a teacher of the Gentiles
in faith and truth.

Wuest:
The words, “in faith and verity (truth),” are explanatory of the sphere
in which the apostle discharges his apostolic function.

1 Timothy 3:15 but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know
how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the
church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.

Comment:
The idea is that the church is the prop (that which sustains
something to keep it from falling - pun intended! Although in the grand
scheme of things, the Word of truth will endure forever) of the truth.

John
MacArthur has a description of truth which is so vital to the integrity
of the message of the Gospel that it should serve as a "plumbline" for
every local body not just in America but throughout the world. He
writes that...

The truth
is the divine revelation, including the truth of the gospel, the
content of the Christian faith. It is the solemn responsibility of every
church to solidly, immovably, unshakably uphold the truth of
God’s Word. The church does not invent the truth, and alters it
only at the cost of judgment. It is to support and safeguard it. It is
the sacred, saving treasure given to sinners for their forgiveness, and
to believers for their sanctification and edification, that they might
live for the glory of God. The church has the stewardship of Scripture,
the duty to guard it as the most precious possession on earth (Ed:
Dear pastor, elders, read that sentence again!). Churches that tamper
with, misrepresent, depreciate, relegate to secondary place, or abandon
biblical truth destroy their only reason for existing and experience
impotence and judgment. (MacArthur,
John: 1Timothy Moody PressorWordsearch)

Editorial
comment: The English definition of "support" is worth
pondering considering the vital role it plays in regards to divine truth
- Support = "That which upholds, sustains or keeps from falling,
as a prop, a pillar, a foundation of any kind. That which maintains
life; as, food is the support of life, of the body, of strength. Oxygen
or vital air has been supposed to be the support of respiration and of
heat in the blood." (cp Jesus' words Mt 4:4, Lk 4:4, Dt 8:3) (Noah
Webster's 1828 edition) Brethren
does this describe your church? What is the focus of your church - the
programs or the Person of Jesus, the Truth?

1 Timothy 4:3 men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods
which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe
and know the truth.

Comment:
Those who know the truth are true disciples of Christ. Contrast the
picture of the men in the following verse.

1 Timothy 6:5 and constant friction between men of depraved (utterly
corrupt) mind and
deprived (destitute) of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.

Comment:
Here deprived of the truth is a picture of an unbeliever.

2 Timothy 2:15-note Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a
workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of
truth. (Seedevotional - The Shooting Panda)

2 Timothy 2:18-note men who have gone astray from the truth saying
that the resurrection has already taken place, and they upset the faith
of some.

Comment:
What happens when the church of Jesus Christ goes astray from the truth?
How can this be rectified?

2 Timothy 2:25-note with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition,
if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the
truth,

2 Timothy 3:7-note always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of
the truth. 8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these
men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected in
regard to the faith.

Comment:
What (from the previous passage) will be your lot if you take a firm,
unshakeable stand on and for God's truth? Do not be surprised when the
opposition comes! And do not be surprised when it comes from within your
own local body! (cp Acts 20:29, 30, 31, 32)

2 Timothy 4:4-note and will turn away their ears from the truth and
will turn aside to myths.

Comment:
This is a prophecy. Has it begun to be fulfilled in America in our
generation? Read the fascinating devotional on disastrous effects of
"the magnetic influence (of ships) on compasses." (A
Wrong Reading - Our Daily Bread)

Titus 1:1-note Paul, a bond-servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ,
for the faith of those chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth
which is according to godliness,

Comment:
What manner of lifestyle should truth produce? (See a different
translation Titus 1:1NIV).

Titus 1:14-note not paying attention to Jewish myths and commandments of men
who turn away from the truth. (cp 2Ti 4:4).

Comment:
The truth of the Word of God in general and especially the Gospel of
grace.

Hebrews 10:26-note For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the
knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for
sins,

Comment:
What is it that these individuals had heard? Is it not the gospel of
Jesus Christ, that unfolds a new covenant of grace by which the old
covenant has become obsolete?

James 1:18-note In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word
of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His
creatures.

Comment:
What is the word of truth in this context? What is the power of God for
bringing forth men from the spiritual dead? It is the gospel proclaimed,
heard, believed and lived out which brings forth men and women as new
creatures in Christ.

James 3:14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your
heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth.

James 5:19 My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one
turns him back,

1 Peter 1:22-note Since you have in obedience to the truth purified
your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one
another from the heart,

Comment:
What is truth in this context? Clearly this use of aletheia refers to
the gospel of truth, that by which a man or woman is born again
(regenerated, given a new heart for the heart of stone, becomes a new
creature in Christ) and is even able to sincerely love others. (See
devotional Knowing + Obeying = Joy)

2 Peter 1:12-note Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these
things, even though you already know them, and have been established (sterizo
[word study] where the perfect tensespeaks of permanence)
in the truth which is present with you.

Comment:
What a great picture of the value of truth to establish one's
spiritual footing firmly in a world that "has gone crazy" morally and
ethically. In such a crooked and perverse generation, the saint can
stand firm because he or she has been established in the truth.
Hallelujah!

2 Peter 2:2-note Many will follow their sensuality
(the false teachers of 2Pe 2:1), and because of them the
way of the truth will be maligned (blasphemed, slandered);

TRUTH: KEYWORD
IN 1, 2 & 3 JOHN

1 John 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in
the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;

Mounce:
John reminds his readers that those who claim to have fellowship with
Christ but continue to walk in darkness “do not live by the truth” (1Jn.
1:6). Thus, there is a close connection between one’s knowledge of truth
and godly activity; the two cannot be separated. In an age where truth
is all too often shaded to obscure falsehood, there is no group of
people who should be more dedicated to speaking the truth forthrightly
and living by its holy standards than the followers of Jesus (cf. Phil
4:8).(Mounce's
Complete Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words. Grand
Rapids, MI: Zondervan or
Computer version)

1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and
the truth is not in us.

1 John 2:4 The one who says, "I have come to know (~ believe
in) Him," and does not
keep (present
tense =as
his general lifestyle = "direction" not perfection!) His commandments, is a liar
(pseustes), and the truth is (present
tense
= continually) not (ouk = absolute negation!) in him;

Comment:
Could John have been any more blunt and "politically incorrect" about
the importance of obedience as an indicator of genuine salvation? Be
wary of and assiduously avoid teachers who add to or take away from this
vitally important truth and turn the grace of God into licentiousness
(Jude 1:4, Pr 30:5, 6, Re 22:19-note,
Re 22:20-note)

1 John 2:21 I have not written to you because you do not know the
truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the
truth.

Comment:
A clear contrast between truth and lies. A truth which is 99.99% truth
and 0.01% lie is not "of the truth"!

1 John 3:18 Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue,
but in deed and truth. 19 We will know by this that we are of the
truth, and will assure our heart before Him

1 John 4:6 We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is
not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of
truth and the spirit of error.

1 John 5:6 This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ;
not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. It is
the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.

2 John 1:1 The elder to the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in
truth; and not only I, but also all who know the truth,
(i.e., another way John describes believers) 2
for the sake of the truth which abides in us (Jn 8:32 we are to
abide in Truth, but here truth abides in the believer) and will be with us
forever: 3 Grace, mercy and peace will be with us, from God the Father
and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.
4 I was very glad to find some of your children (this could be physical
children but surely includes spiritual children - converts, those who
are now being discipled -
Does your church actively, intentionally, zealously disciple young
converts? Where are the
older men and women in the body who are actively discipling younger
saints? Sixty is not an age to retire but to renew one's commitment to
make disciples!) walking in truth,
just as we have received commandment to do from the Father.

Comment:
Why such emphasis on
aletheia in this short epistle? One needs to read the entire letter
for proper contextand in so doing will observe
the antithesis of truth in 2Jn 1:7 What is truth the "antidote" for
in this passage? The
antithesis of truth is deception and this forms the basis of a
general principle throughout Scripture, and indeed is a most vital
principle to keep in mind considering that the first sin slipped entered
the world vis a vis deception (2Co 11:3) What's the initial description of
Satan? See Ge 3:1 where
the Hebrew word for "crafty" = 'arum = cunning, deceitful, which
emphasizes the saint's continual ("desperate") need to abide in the
truth (2Jn 1:2 - what does this verse say about "eternal security"?)
and humbly, willingly allow the truth to abide in his/her heart! There
are no shortcuts, beloved of God (1Th 1:4-note).
Christian books are okay and devotionals are alright, but neither can
substitute for the truth of the living and active Word of
God (He 4:12-note),
the living, abiding (enduring) seed, the word of God (1Pe 1:23-note),
the pure milk of the Word (1Pe 2:2-note),
the solid food by which the Spirit enables disciples to discern good
from evil (He 5:14-note).
Question -
How's is your daily intake of aletheia?
If it is "hit or miss", the odds are great that you will miss more than
you hit when it comes to walking in a manner worthy of the Lord, to
please Him in all respects!
(Ep 4:1-note,
Col 1:10-note,
1Th 2:12-note,
1Th 4:1-notecp Ge 5:22, 24, 17:1) (See
devotional on loving the truth = The Light—Enemy Or Friend)

Daniel
Akin writes that in 2Jn 1:1: “I love in truth” is emphatic
(“I myself love”). John expresses his love for this local body of
believers in the context of truth, a truth that abides or remains both
(1) in us and (2) with us forever. Truth in the biblical sense is:

3 John 1:3 For I was very glad when brethren came and testified to your
truth, that is, how you are walking in truth.

3 John 1:4 I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my (spiritual)
children walking in the truth.

Matthew
Henry: The best evidence of our having the truth is our walking in
the truth.

3 John 1:8 Therefore we ought to support such men, so that we may be
fellow workers with the truth.

3 John 1:12 Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone, and
from the truth itself; and we add our testimony, and you know
that our testimony is true.

Aletheia - 119 verses in the
non-apocryphal Septuagint (LXX)(Note
concentration in the Psalms - all
of these uses are worth taking a moment to ponder [write down what you
learn about "truth". And
as you read through the verses, notethat many times the
Septuagint uses aletheia/truth to translate "Faithfulness"
= Hebrew = emunah = firmness, steadfastness, fidelity.)...

A W Tozer has some
pithy but practical words for us to keep in mind as we study the truth
about truth...

The Bible is,
among other things, a book of revealed truth. That is, certain
facts are revealed that could not be discovered by the most brilliant
mind. These facts are of such a nature as to be past finding out. These
are facts that were hidden behind a veil, and until certain men who
spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost took away that veil no mortal
man could know them. The lifting of the veil of unknowing from
undiscoverable things we call divine revelation.

What is generally overlooked among humankind is that truth as set forth
in the Christian Scriptures is a moral thing; it is not addressed to the
intellect only, but to the will also (Ed: Biblical truth is given
to us not to make us "smarter sinners" but more like the Savior -
cp Ro 8:29-note!).
It addresses itself to the total man, and its obligations cannot be
discharged by grasping it mentally.

Truth engages the citadel of
the human heart
and is not satisfied until it has conquered everything there.

The will must
come forth and surrender its sword. It must stand at attention to
receive orders, and those orders it must joyfully obeyed. Short of this
any knowledge of Christian truth is inadequate and unavailing (Ed:
Not to self-deluding - Jas 1:22-note).

Bible exposition without moral application raises no opposition (Ed:
Truth confronts lies, half truths, falsehoods we are all tempted
to believe, usually on a daily basis. A good sermon will comfort the
afflicted and afflict the comfortable. Is that the effect of the sermon
you preached on Sunday? ...or the sermon you heard on
Sunday?). It is only when the hearer is made to understand that truth
is in conflict with his heart (Ed: The lies we have believed, etc) that
resistance sets in. As long as people can hear orthodoxtruth
divorced from life they will attend and support churches and
institutions without objection! (Ed: As someone once said "Preach
the Truth and Duck!") (Renewed Day by Day : A Daily Devotional.
Camp Hill, PA.: WingSpread)

Pastor Cole emphasizes that
the description of God's Holy Word as the word of truth is important
because...

Truth is accurate, objective and
knowable, not subjective and fluid. If a carpenter showed up at your
house and didn’t have a level, square, tape measure or set of plans,
you’d be a bit concerned. If you asked him about his methods and he
said, “We all have different ways of seeing things and no way is
absolutely right. Who’s to say that your house has to be plumb and
square?”—you’d be even more concerned! You want your house built
carefully and accurately according to the plans. God’s Word is not the
sort of thing where one person can see it one way and another person can
see it another way and it really doesn’t matter because no one can know
what it means. Every biblical text has a fixed meaning that is true and
never changes. Based on and stemming from that meaning, it may have a
different significance or application for different people and at
different times for the same person. But we need to use the tools of
Bible study and interpretation to discover the meaning of each text in
its biblical context. Otherwise, we’re being sloppy workmen with God’s
Word of truth. (See full message 2 Timothy 2:14-19 Using the Word
Properly)

Detzler writes that...

Adolph Hitler took an expectedly cavalier attitude toward the truth.
He said, "The victor will never be asked if he told the truth." An
American leader expressed the opposite attitude: "Let us begin by
committing ourselves to the truth—to see it like it is, and tell it like
it is." This strong defender of truth was none other than President
Richard M. Nixon. His life later gave the lie to his assertion. (Ibid)

God’s word of truth in
Scripture is the source and measure not only of all spiritual and moral
truth but of all truth of any sort on which it speaks. As discussed
above in the NT, the phrase
word of
truth refers specifically to the gospel. Every
aspect of God’s truth is to be handled accurately, as a sacred trust by
those who teach it and by those who hear it.

It is clear from both the OT and NT, as well as church history and our
own time, that many of the worst false teachers claim to be servants of
God. The majority of scribes, Pharisees, and other Jewish leaders of
Jesus’ day considered themselves to be the godliest of the godly, as
well as the only reliable interpreters of Scripture. Yet Jesus described
them in (Jn 8:44). Even apart from those extremes, anyone who ignores,
misrepresents, misinterprets, or detracts from God’s truth by adding to
it or taking away from it (Re 22:18, 19-see notesRev 22:18;
22:19) has reason to be ashamed as well
as fearful. Whether consciously or not, those who corrupt and denigrate
God’s truth are the spiritual children of Satan. They are purveyors of
his abominable lies and are under God’s sovereign and certain judgment.

Remember the wise words of Richard Baxter to the people of
Kidderminster:

Were you but as willing to get the knowledge of God and heavenly things
as you are to know how to work in your trade, you would have set
yourself to it before this day, and you would have spared no cost or
pains till you had got it. But you account seven years little enough to
learn your trade and will not bestow one day in seven in diligent
learning the matters of your salvation.

Matthew Henry writes that
we are to "Study to show thyself such a one, a
workman that needs not be ashamed. Ministers (Ed note: all
believers are priests of the Lord and all have a spiritual gift and
hence all have a ministry to and for the Lord) must be workmen; they
have work to do (see noteEphesians 2:10),
and they must take pains in it. Workmen that are unskillful, or
unfaithful, or lazy, have need to be ashamed; but those who mind their
business, and keep to their work, are workmen that need not be ashamed.
And what is their work? It is rightly to divide the word of truth. Not
to invent a new gospel, but rightly to divide the gospel that is
committed to their trust. To speak terror to those to whom terror
belongs, comfort to whom comfort; to give every one his portion in due
season, Mt. 24:45. Observe here, 1. The word which ministers preach is
the word of truth, for the author of it is the God of truth. 2. It
requires great wisdom, study, and care, to divide this word of truth
rightly; Timothy must study in order to do this well.

Oswald Chambers -
Approved unto God - Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman
that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2
Tim. 2:15. = If you cannot express yourself on any subject, struggle
until you can. If you do not, someone will be the poorer all the days of
his life. Struggle to re-express some truth of God to yourself, and God
will use that expression to someone else. Go through the winepress of
God where the grapes are crushed. You must struggle to get expression
experimentally, then there will come a time when that expression will
become the very wine of strengthening to someone else; but if you say
lazily—‘I am not going to struggle to express this thing for myself, I
will borrow what I say,’ the expression will not only be of no use to
you, but of no use to anyone. Try to re-state to yourself what you
implicitly feel to be God’s truth, and you give God a chance to pass it
on to someone else through you. Always make a practice of provoking your
own mind to think out what it accepts easily. Our position is not ours
until we make it ours by suffering. The author who benefits you is not
the one who tells you something you did not know before, but the one who
gives expression to the truth that has been struggling for utterance in
you.

Rob Morgan - The Prince of
Gospel Singers - Charles M. Alexander (1867–1920), “Prince of Gospel
Singers,” exhibited incredible ability to make people sing. He teamed up
with evangelist Reuben A. Torrey, and the two became the first men to
completely circle the globe in a quest for souls. He and his wife Helen
Cadbury (of chocolate fame) helped organize the Pocket Testament League,
and everywhere they went they pointed people to this verse. 2 Timothy
2:15 became Alexander’s text in this way. He once had a friend, French
Oliver, who had drifted away from Christ. Alexander, who led him back to
the Lord and into Christian service, later wrote: Oliver and I agreed to
spend our next Christmas together. Those were two of the most profitable
weeks I have ever spent. We sang and composed music, read the Bible, and
talked over Christian work. On New Year’s Eve we decided we would take a
year-text, and the year-text was 2 Timothy 2:15. Instead of saying “Good
night” to each other, one would call out “2 Timothy 2:15, ” and the
other would answer, “2 Timothy 2:15.” Finally the time came to part. I
went to the depot to see him off. Many people were on the platform. My
friend was standing at the back of the train, and instead of saying
“Good-bye,” I called out “2 Timothy 2:15!” “2 Timothy 2:15!” he replied.
A year later, Alexander, teaching a class of young men, referred to this
verse. One of them spoke up. “Twelve months ago,” he said, “I was down
at the depot when I heard a fellow shouting for all he was worth, ‘2
Timothy 2:15!’ to a man on the end of the outgoing train, who was
shouting back, ‘2 Timothy 2:15!’ I thought, what is this? I made a
beeline home and looked it up in my Bible. I wasn’t a Christian then,
but the words of that text hit me fairly between the eyes. I asked God
to forgive my sins and help me to show myself approved, and thank God He
has done it.” (From This Verse)

William Kelly gives us some
practical application of this passage writing that...

there is also a more positive and
personal call in verse 15:

"Be diligent to present thyself approved to
God a workman not to be ashamed, cutting straightly the word of truth."

Example sways more than precept, and those who teach others have
especial reason to dread failure or carelessness in themselves. Further,
every pious man knows that the first of all obligations is to stand
right with God. Timothy therefore was to use diligence to present
himself approved to God in the first instance. Where this was not true,
his words might be right enough in themselves, but his work would lack
blessing, and himself be ever liable to shame. In fact his course would
be more or less hypocritical. There could be no courage before the
enemy, where the conscience was not good before God. One must seek to be
approved alike in conduct and service, approved to God if shame is to be
avoided even now. Again, what confidence can there be in drawing out and
applying the word of truth with an unwavering heart and hand? The
scripture needed might otherwise condemn oneself. A man without
conscience might speak out boldly; he that feared God must tremble in
blaming another for a wrong which he knew in himself. It is of all
importance therefore! that the workman should present himself approved
to God: otherwise his testimony cannot but be timid, feeble, and
uncertain. (2
Timothy Commentary)

Ray Pritchard has these words
regarding the importance of all believers rightly dividing the word
of truth...

Verse 15 is the key to this whole
section. If we are going to be used of God to reach others, we must be
“approved workers” who are not ashamed because we correctly handle the
word of truth. The phrase “approved workers” speaks of craftsmen who are
gifted and dedicated to doing excellent work. Let me illustrate. A
friend asked me to recommend a good auto body shop because his car had
been in a wreck. I didn’t hesitate but was glad to mention a certain
establishment in Oak Park. A quick check of the phone book shows that
there are many auto body shops in our area. I don’t know about all of
them, but I do know about some of them, and there is only one that I
would recommend. It’s a shop that our family has used on numerous
occasions, starting with the time eight or nine years ago when our van
was totally wrecked all the way to this summer when we’ve had both our
cars in the shop. The owner is a good friend of mine and I have gotten
to know him well over the years. But I do not use his shop because of
our friendship. We keep going back because of the high quality of
service. I know from experience that his people take great pride in what
they do. They are totally dedicated to doing the job and doing it right.
And (though I can’t say this for certain) I have the feeling that my
friend can be pretty tough on his own people if he thinks they aren’t
giving a full effort. As far as I am concerned, he is an “approved
worker” who does not need to be ashamed because he correctly handles the
cars that come into his shop.

Those who serve the Lord must take care in the way they handle the Word
of God. In the King James Version, the phrase reads “rightly
divide.” The Greek word means something like cutting a straight
furrow or making a straight path. We must not use the Word of God to
support a pet theory or our own ideas, but must follow the true teaching
of the Word of God, making it the straight pattern for life. This
involves knowing the Word and being able to explain it accurately to
others.

First, I must know the Word.Second, I must apply it to my own life.Third, I must diligently study it in order to teach it.Fourth, I must teach it correctly so that others will understand
it.

This command applies not only to pastors and missionaries, but also to
every Christian. It certainly applies to Sunday School teachers and to
small group leaders. It applies to everyone involved in personal
discipleship. It applies to parents who must teach their children. It
applies to believers who want to win their friends to Christ.

If you are grounded in the Word, you will avoid quarrels (v. 14) because
they produce spiritual catastrophe in those who listen. You will avoid
“godless chatter” (v. 16) because it is a kind of spiritual gangrene
that destroys the soul. You will be aware of false teachers (vv. 17-18)
who have wandered away from the truth. Paul even names two false
teachers who had once been leaders in the church, but had drifted into
serious doctrinal error that was corrupting other believers. They denied
the truth of the bodily resurrection of the dead, thus robbing believers
of the hope of seeing again their departed loved ones who died in the
Lord.

All Christians are either “approved workers” or “ashamed
believers.” To be approved means that we have built our lives
on the Word of God and therefore, our ministry to others can stand the
test of time. Because we know the truth, we can teach the truth to
others and make them strong.

An “ashamed” believer is one
who is weak because he does not know the Word and therefore is tossed
back and forth, always following the latest fad. Such a person is
gullible, easily deceived, easy prey for false teachers, unstable,
unsteady in the time of crisis, and prone to follow bad advice. Such a
person will always have a negative influence on others.

How do you become an “approved worker?” The King James Version
says “study to show yourself approved.” Other translations use
phrases like “be diligent” or “make every effort” or “do your best.” The
point is, it doesn’t happen by accident. My friend who runs the auto
body shop sets high standards and holds himself to those standards. When
he hires a new worker, he takes the time to show them how to produce
high-quality work and he won’t accept less than that. If we were as
serious as that in our walk with the Lord, we would soon be “approved
workers” who correctly handle the word of truth.

Knowing the Bible is absolutely crucial for your spiritual growth. Years
ago our church was called the Madison Street Bible Church. We put the
word Bible right in our name to show that we want to be biblical in all
we say and do. That’s why the Bible is the basis for every sermon, every
program, and every class we offer. We want to grow a congregation that
is Bible-based and Bible-saturated.

So how are you doing in
your knowledge of the Word? Do you read the Bible on a daily basis? What
steps have you taken to grow deeper in the Word? If you want to be an
“approved worker” whom God can use, you must be grounded in the Word.
And remember, it doesn’t happen by accident. Make it your aim to know
God’s Word deeply so God can use you greatly.
(Read Dr Pritchard's full message 2 Timothy 2:14-16: The Life God Blesses)
(Bolding and color added for emphasis)

><> ><> ><>

WATCHING THE SIGNS (rightly
dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15) How thankful we should be
for the wonderful highways which crisscross our nation. This is truly a
far cry from the early days of the automobile when paved roads were a
rarity, and when the best of highways could be transformed within
minutes from a ribbon of dust into a river of mud. Yet there are times
when those primitive roadways seem good to me, especially when I arrive
in a strange city on one of our superhighways and find myself surrounded
by lanes of "speeding steel" and barraged by numerous signs indicating
different routes and directions. It can be confusing! But I've found a
way to overcome this frustration : know where you are going, and the
number of the route that will take you there. Then watch for that alone!
The other signs will tend to mix you up if they are not kept in proper
relationship with that which really applies to you.

Many folks today are similarly perplexed and confused in their study of
the Scriptures, simply because they don't know how to read the "road
signs" of the Bible. They have never appreciated the admonition of Paul
to Timothy about "rightly dividing the word of truth." If we would fully
understand the Scriptures, we must know which passages are directed
primarily to us. It is true that all of Scripture is for us, for we
read: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable
for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness" (2 Tim. 3:16); yet every verse was not written
specifically to us. We have no right to claim for ourselves God's
special promises to Israel, nor would we foolishly appropriate their
curses.

Ever present, truest Friend,
Ever near Thine aid to lend,
Guide us as we search the Word,
Make it both our shield and sword!—M. M. Wells, alt.

When you study the Bible "hit or miss,"
you MISS more than you HIT!

><> ><> ><>

HANDLE WITH CARE -
In an excavation at Jerusalem, archeologist Gabriel Barkay uncovered a
small copper scroll with writing on it from the Bible. This fragment of
Scripture was brittle and tarnished with age. Barkay took it to his
laboratory and worked with unbelievable patience and delicate care to
unroll it without destroying it.
Dated around 400 BC, the scroll was a very important find because it
contained the earliest written Hebrew name for God, Yahweh (or Jehovah).
Apparently the scribe who copied it had broken with the practice of
never writing that sacred name. Always before, because of their
reverence for its holiness, Jewish scribes had felt unworthy to pen that
special name.
The Bible is God's holy, inspired, infallible Word, and we must handle
its truths with the same care Barkay gave to his discovery and the same
reverence the copyists gave to God's name. Scripture comes to us from
God's heart. Therefore, we must guard its message with integrity by
"rightly dividing the word of truth" (2Ti 2:15). We must respect its
every word. To take Scripture out of context or twist its meaning to
serve our purposes or justify our own opinions is to dishonor God's Word
and His name.
Let's always handle the Word of God with care. --D C Egner (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted
by permission. All rights reserved)

The Bible stands, and it will forever
When the world has passed away;
By inspiration it has been given--
All its precepts I will obey. --Lillenas

Open your Bible prayerfully,
read it carefully,
and obey it joyfully.

><> ><> ><>

THE VALUE OF
READING IN CONTEXT -
A father was telling his son the Bible story about Lot. He said,

"God
was going to destroy the city of Sodom, so He warned Lot to take his
wife and flee. But when Lot's wife looked back, she turned into a pillar
of salt."

Puzzled, the boy asked,

"What happened to the flea?"

This humorous misunderstanding points out a deeper problem some of us
have with the words of the Bible. Although we believe that every word of
Scripture is inspired (2Ti 3:16), this doesn't mean we should take every word
literally regardless of its context. Some people seem to do this and
thereby miss the true meaning of many Bible passages.
The Bible is filled with images-word pictures we call similes and metaphors
(see terms of comparison). The book of James gives us a classic example, calling the
tongue "a fire" (Jas 3:6). We know it doesn't mean that we have a literal
flame in our mouth. Jesus used figurative language too. He said, "If
your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out" (Mt 5:29-note). What He
meant, of course, is that we should take strong measures to keep
ourselves from sin.
We need to listen carefully to what God is saying in His Word so we can
put it into practice. His Word is a "lamp" for our feet and a "light"
for our path (Ps 119:105
-
Spurgeon's note).-D J De
Haan (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted
by permission. All rights reserved)

A text taken out of contextbecomes a pretext.
(Pretext = a purpose or motive
alleged or an appearance
assumed in order to cloak the real intention or state of
affairs)

><> ><> ><>

By the time D. L. Moody arrived on the evangelistic scene the biblical
literacy rate in America had plummeted. There was a time in American
history when more than 90% of the population read the Bible regularly.
Sermons were full of illustrations taken directly from the Bible.
Unlike the other evangelists before and after him, Moody devoted several
sermons to the topic of Bible study. According to him, the important
tools for effective study are a large-print Bible, concordance, and a
Bible dictionary.
Moody studied entire books, special biblical topics, as well as
important Bible characters. Intensive Bible study contributed a lasting
influence to his own life. He realized that a sermon would eventually be
forgotten, but if his audience could be stimulated into the habitual
study of God’s Word, they would experience greater spiritual maturity.

><> ><> ><>

Guy King writes the
following notes on this verse...

THE PRECIOUS
WORD

It is seen in verse 15, "the word
of truth." Those who remember the great Torrey and Alexander missions in
this country, will recall how that this verse was a kind of watchword,
what we should now call a "slogan" of their campaigns. In sending
letters people would put on the envelopes "2 Timothy 2:15"; they would
dispatch telegraphs bearing the message "Two Timothy Two Fifteen"; they
would greet one another in the street with the same words; there were
placards on the boardings, posters at the houses - everywhere was
"Timothy 2:15."

Well, here it is again: we might
very profitably adopt it as the slogan, the motto, of our own life. It
seems to me to be a most delightful summing-up of a satisfactory
Christian life, with a revelation of its secret, "the word of truth."

See here, then...

(a) The work well done - "a
workman that needeth not to be ashamed."

This is just another illustration
of the strenuousness of the Christian life, which this Second Chapter
has so urgently underlined. We have already learnt that the believer is
intended to be a soldier, an athlete, and a farmer - now he is an
artisan: he is expected to be a worker. Evidently, the Christian life is
no picnic; How will this workman become ashamed?

(i) If he do his work badly
- we ought all, and always, to put our very best into it; but do we?

How often we go to it very ill
prepared. A Sunday-school teacher, for instance, puts hardly anything
into the task of getting his Lesson ready, scarcely looks at it until
Saturday evening, has got so into the habit of slackness that he has
come to feel almost that anything will do for the children. In the day
when our Christian work is judged (1Corinthians 3:11, 12, 13, 14, 15), such a man
would stand dreadfully ashamed. He had better be thoroughly ashamed of
himself now. Look at Jeremiah 48:10,

"Cursed be he that doeth the work of
the Lord deceitfully [negligently]."

(ii) If he do it easily -
with little cost to himself, and with no sort of sacrifice.

I have heard of Christian people
refusing to take up spiritual work offered to them because it would mean
giving up some bit of selfish enjoyment, or because they are so shy and
would feel so dreadfully nervous, or because they fear they would get
very tired. Make no mistake about it that a service without sacrifice is
a shame worthy thing. The service that counts is the service that costs.
So then, how much does your Christian work cost you?

(iii) If he do it fitfully
- doing something if he feels like it, dropping it (and leaving the
church!) if anyone dares to criticise at all, taking it up again if the
inducement is powerful enough, or if the flattery is sufficiently
agreeable. What a terrible way to treat what is one of the highest
privileges of mankind.

(iv) If he do nothing at all -
a drone in the hive.

A stranger was talking with one of
the monks at the St. Bernard Hospice when one of the grand, magnificent
dogs came home. It just slinked by, its tail down, its head dejected,
its whole bearing the picture of misery. "What's the matter with that
dog?" asked the visitor. "Oh, it has found nobody to help, and it is
feeling so ashamed."

My friends, we could never have
that brave animal's excuse - lost on the bleak mountains is a multitude
of souls, needing desperately the help that we Christians alone can
give: when we come Home at the End of the Day, how terribly ashamed we
shall be, if we have never attempted to do a thing to help them. Some of
us Christians are content to remain in our arm chairs, never moving a
foot, never stirring a finger, to serve. Any such will have painful
cause to hang their heads with shame when we meet the Lord. How grand,
though, to be one of those faithful servants of His who have no need to
be ashamed.

Alas. He cannot always trust all
His servants. In all the exquisite reality of His Humanity, we hear of
His leaning upon the sympathy and fellowship of His friends, in a time
of direst need - "tarry ye here, and watch with Me" (Matthew 26:38); but
He found He could not rely on them, they went to sleep and let Him down.

On the other side of the matter,
we shall recall that word He spoke to Elijah, in 1Kings 17:9.

"Behold, I have commanded a widow
woman there to sustain thee"

Having commanded, He knew He could
rely on her to do it. Mind you, if ever a person would have been
justified in saying that she couldn't do it, it was she. There was
nothing left in the larder, the last little scraps were about to be used
in the last bit of food, before she and her boy must give themselves
over, in that time of drought and famine, to death from starvation. How
could she possibly feed the prophet besides? Was she willing? That was
the crux of the matter; for, if she were willing, GOD would arrange for
the doing of it - however impossible it appeared.

In all questions of GOD's service,
He asks only for willing obedience - he will see to the means for doing
it. How He "approved" of that woman of Zarephath that day, seeing she
proved He could absolutely rely on her. And, on us?

A poor, ragged little fellow, who
had no one to care for him, and who had recently been converted, was
asked, "If GOD loves you, why doesn't He tell somebody to look after
you?" To which he rather sadly replied, "I expect He does tell somebody,
but somebody forgets", Is that somebody you? Has some poor, sin-stained,
needy soul crossed your path, whom GOD expected you to help, and did you
forget - or fail?

Oh, to be so in touch with GOD,
day by day, that we may almost instinctively know His mind, and do His
will, and so be "approved unto GOD."

(iii) As one He can reward.

When Life's Day is ended, and we
go into His presence on finishing our Job, may we be able to present
ourselves "approved - not ashamed," and to receive the supernal
recompense of His

To enjoy His approval, and to
share His joy: what a rich reward for any pains and sacrifices that our
work may have involved. But such an approval will probably mean a
considerable curtailment of others-pleasing, and certainly a complete
end of self-pleasing. So we come to a last thought, which will supply
the secret of this satisfactory Christian life, which has, all this
while, been on our minds - the precious word:

(c) The Book well used -

"rightly dividing the word of
truth."

This word is placed in every
"workman's" hand: it is his Tool, which he must, by much study and
practice, learn how to use skillfully, and which he must, on no account,
allow to become blunted by misuse, or rusty from disuse. He must be, in
every sense, a Man of the Book.

What is this "rightly dividing"?
It is one word in the Greek, and means "cutting straight." All sorts of
suggestions have been made by the commentators.

Some refer it to Straight Furrows:
the Book is a very fruitful field, to receive whose full harvest the
ploughman cuts his straight furrows.

Or, may be, it is Straight Roads:
the Book is a great domain, to gain access to whose many benefits the
engineer cuts his straight roads through.

John Calvin has a delightful
suggestion. He thinks of Straight Slices: the Book is a wondrous loaf, a
Bread of Life, to enjoy whose, nourishing strength the steward cuts his
straight slices, for his own use, and for that of the whole household.

Straight furrows, shall we say, of
painstaking Study; straight roads, perhaps, of Dispensational Study;
straight slices, of Regular Study - not just lumps pulled off the loaf
from any part, not isolated texts and bits, torn from their context, to
feed some favoured theory, but the straight slices of orderly system,
the Scripture Union, perhaps, or the International Bible Reading
Association, or the Bible Reading Fellowship, or the Chapter a Day
method, or the regular Church Calendar; something like Jehoiachin's
"allowance" from Evil-merodach, in 2Kings 25:30, "a daily rate for
every day, all the days . . ."

But, perhaps, what we are
especially taught here is, not so much the importance of the "cutting",
as the value of the "straight" - to deal in a straightforward way with
the Bible, to the exclusion of all fanciful deviations and all "private
interpretation," (1Pe1:20-note)

To be "approved unto GOD"
we must "study" - or, be diligent; above all we must "study .
. . the word of truth" - "the scripture of truth," to borrow
the phrase of Daniel 10:21. Both in our personal life, and in our
spiritual work, the Bible must have prime place; and we shall soon
discover that it is not enough merely to read our daily portion,
admirable though that laudable custom is, but we must give ourselves to
diligent study making time, and taking pains. (2
Timothy 2:14-19 Three Words)